Angel Amulet
by Deona Lindholm
Summary: Jayce & the Wheeled Warriors fic, renovated w/new chapters! 3 years after a reunion goes wrong, the Lightning League's final chance lies within a sentient amulet and Alita Saaru. R&R please! New chapter!
1. Prelude: Moment of Disaster

_Angel Amulet_

_By Deona Lindholm_

_Prelude: Moment of Disaster_

_Jayce looked between the spot where his father and friends were and where several of the Monster Minds surrounded them. They had gone to a planet where a young woman that was closer to Jayce's age, Dea, and Audric both had been abducted to, the terms being: Give the two halves of the Root over or she would be killed, followed by the young man's father. They had gone in with the intent of not cooperating, but with getting the two out before heading to the secret sector of the Aunitia Center, which had the chambers needed to join the two halves of the Root together. This was a situation that had degenerated rapidly. The planet was one that absolutely nobody was able to land and, as such, interfere, once the group had arrived. There was also a field in effect that prevented Gillian from using his magic, as well as Flora from being able to intervene. To make things worse, most of the vehicles were unable to move, as they had been sabotaged._

_The young man looked about him. A portal was opening, ready for the Monster Minds to send Dea into. Gillian had said, at the beginning, that a portal of that magnitude sent someone to either another world or a space between dimensions, known as the Vortex. In the latter, almost nobody ever survived…and once it was opened, the only way to close it was for someone to pass through._

"_Well, boy?" He heard Saw Boss demand in that roaring, imperious voice of his, "Make your choice! Both parts of the Root or Audric and the girl!"_

_No matter what he could think up, there seemed to be only one solution to this disaster. Jayce sighed and then looked at first his father, then at the prim, blonde-haired woman wearing a garnet tiara that was very close in style to his own._

_**Dea...I'm sorry.**_

_The young woman peered at him, looking right into his blue eyes, and seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. Her only physical indication was to give a simple nod._

_**Do as you wish,**__ he heard in his mind__**.**_

_Jayce touched his ring, whispering the words that normally activated the magical power within it. It glittered for a second as suddenly, Audric, Dea and the others became transparent._

_At the same time, the Monster Minds tried to advance upon not only Herc, Gillian, Oon and Flora but also Audric and Dea. The mutant plants bounced off within inches of them, seemingly surrounded by an invisible field._

_The ring vanished from Jayce's finger and suddenly appeared on Audric's._

"_Wha…Jayce?! What are you doing?!" the older man called in alarm._

"_It's the only way now…father, it's my turn."_

_His eyes widened in shock. "Jayce! No!"_

"_Look for me. Come find me," he replied quietly, then moved towards the anomaly._

"_No, Jayce! You can't!" Flora shouted._

"_M-M-master! You'll be k-k-killed in there!"_

_He smiled softly, mouthed something and then spoke one last thing, "You'll find me. Promise." His back now was to the rift. He closed his eyes, crossed his arms in front of his chest…and then leaned backwards, falling into the Vortex._

_As he fell in, a beam of light shot from the ring into the portal._

_An anguished cry tore from Flora just as the others in the Lightning League blinked out of existence._

_The next thing they new, all of them, including Dea, were on the __**Pride. **__T__he ship, surrounded by an aura of white light, was departing rather quickly from Kitta III._

"_Oh no...Jayce..." Flora whispered in a quiet, shocked voice._

_Herc simply stared at the vanishing planet with hard eyes while the others had different reactions. Flora was weeping, Oon was not doing much better. Dea was trying to comfort the half-plant girl while fighting back her own pain. Gillian was talking quietly to first Oon, and then moved towards his old friend. Audric, though…tears spilled down his face exactly in the same way that Jayce had wept in the Dreamworld, having thought that his father was murdered._

"_Audric...I'm so sorry," Gillian said, using the back of one hand to scrub at his face while placing the other on his friend's right shoulder. "If I had been more observant..."_

"_U-uncle Audric," Dea murmured, putting a hand on the man's arm and looking at him sympathetically. Although not his biological niece, she was a friend of the family, according to the elder scientist. "First Jayce went looking for you, now you'll have to do the hunting. I hope to—I hope he's still alive and not between the…"_

"_Jayce…" he murmured. "I'll find you…if you survive, I'll find you."_

_He closed his eyes, the image of his own son mouthing something to him before saying his final words and falling backwards._

_What the young man had silently whispered was, "I love you, father."_

_000000000000_

_He opened his eyes after he passed through the portal. All around the young man was black as dark as oblivion, interrupted only by waves of blue._

_**This is...the Vortex?**_

_He only had enough time to think that before he found himself unable to breathe._

_The brown-haired young man doubled over, trying to make himself bring in air, only to find none in the black and blue surroundings._

_**So..am I going to die here after all?**_

_As he thought this, he tried harder to bring in oxygen, only to find himself becoming somewhat distant, and the blue waves before his eyes started to disappear._

_**..I'm so sorry, Father...**_

_It was then that a beam of light, coming seemingly from nowhere, hit him fully in the back._

_A glow surrounded Jayce, whose suffocation had seemed to stop as the brightness grew._

_**This light, it's saved me...**_

_That had been his thought until he looked at himself._

_His entire body was vanishing, changing into little balls of light at a moderate pace._

_He tried to fight down a feeling of panic at his body disintegrating and felt at his chest..._

_...only to find that the necklace, the Root, was gone._

_**The Root! Has it turned into light, too...?**_

_His hands converted into several balls of light as he looked around, trying to see if, by chance, it was floating. At the same time, he was beginning to feel sleepy._

_The conversion was soon to his neck, and the young man lifted his head. His eyes widened when he saw something glimmering a short distance from him._

_**What...will happen...to me now...?** was his last thought as he felt a slight tugging and he drifted off to sleep._


	2. Counting Down

_Chapter 1: Counting Down..._

_4 Days_

_**Tokyo, Japan**_

There was a knock on a wooden door, and right along with it was the sound of quick, harsh breathing that could be heard by a trio of people in the living room.

One of the three, a not-quite elderly Japanese woman got up from her seat and walked towards the front door. She had black hair, styled in the traditional manner, that was streaked throughout with grey. Unlike the other two she lived with, her son and daughter-in-law, she was dressed in a similarly traditional red and black kimono. Her wrinkles became visible as she frowned at the sound of the heavy breathing.

"Who is it?" she called out, though she had a feeling she knew.

"I-it's me, Grandma Chiaki," a nasally girl's voice called back, still sounding a bit breathless.

The woman sighed, shook her head and unlocked the door before opening it.

Before her was a young teenager with frizzy blonde hair that went to her shoulders, wearing a red blouse with a white bow in the front, as well as white lining along the neck. She was also wearing a blue skirt, with white socks and black shoes. The girl was, for the most part, mousy.

_Not even changed out of her school uniform._

"Detention again, I take it?" The woman, Chiaki, asked with a raised eyebrow and stern tone.

"Y-Yeah," the girl replied, "I was late for school this morning, so I had a half-hour and a lecture..."

There was a male _ahem_ sound coming from behind Chiaki, one that made the girl more nervous than she already was.

"If you weren't late in getting to school, Mia Willse, you would be on time here. There is much honor in being punctual, and none in being tardy," the male voice, coming from a Japanese man that wore a black and white business suit...which looked a little weird to the girl when one added the fact that he was barefoot.

_Isn''t he supposed to be in a kimono and pants? Maybe he just got off work or somethin'._

"I-I'm sorry, sir," she stammered while thinking,

"Hayasaka-san! I put up with being called 'sir' at work, I do not need to suffer it in my own home."

"O-of course, Hayasaka-san."

He sighed and shook his head. "Eight years here in glorious Japan and you still act like this. Why can't you be more like your senpai? At least _she_ is on time, never disrespectful--"

"That's enough," Chiaki put in, "You've made your point. She'll be assigned extra tasks today to better drive the lesson in. Mia, come at once."

"Yes, Grand--"

"Ahem!"

"Chiaki-san," she corrected herself and began to move.

"Stop."

The young teenager stopped.

"What have you forgotten _now_?" the man asked.

Mia blinked then coughed sheepishly as she bent down and took her shoes and socks off, putting them by the door.

_That girl,_ he thought as he glared at her before returning to the living room, _she truly is what those Americans would call "ditzy". Thankfully, not everyone from that country is like her._

_Ohhh, she had better appreciate all this...the Hayasakas are so mean!_ Mia thought as she left with Chiaki.

The eldest woman wondered, as she brought the teenager towards the kitchen, _What is it that makes this girl stay here and work so hard these past two years...?_

_00000_

At the same time, a young woman was walking from the school towards the library. She was somewhat tall for a woman, with jade-green eyes and a slender frame that had some muscle to it…attractive for someone in her very late teens. Her carrot-red hair went down to just past her shoulders. At the moment, she was wearing her school uniform, which was the red and white blouse, blue skirt, white socks and black shoes. Although instead of white, the bow in the front of her blouse was a shade of green that her parents would have called _midori_. The bow's color marked her as a senior. In one hand she was carrying a black, thin briefcase.

The girl also wore a golden amulet around her neck.

The chain was not too tight, so she could easily breathe, but not too loose. There were two other things about the amulet that anyone looking at it would see immediately. On the front was a strange, sunburst design. The other thing was that the necklace had no clasp.

_**My name is Alita Saaru. Or rather, in the proper form here, Saaru Alita. I go to Heihachi High School in Tokyo, where I'm a senior. I will be 19 years old very soon and in a few months, I take the entrance exams for university. My best friend is an American named Mia Willse. She's a junior that also goes to Heihachi. Her family moved to Japan eight years ago and she lives down the street from my house. She's always getting into trouble with our sensei because she always oversleeps and is perpetually tardy. She gets into trouble with the Hayasaka family as well for the same reasons.**_

_**I wasn't born Japanese, though. I was born an American citizen, named Alita Carson. My birth parents were fans of things like Anime, and they liked the name "Alita", so that's how I got it.**_

_**When I was five years old, my birth parents were killed in an auto accident. I was in the car as well, but even as my parents died, I came out of it with only a few scratches. I think that I survived because of my guardian. I was in the foster care system for half a year, shuffled to various families, until a family visiting from Japan that couldn't have children of their own saw me and wanted to adopt me. The adoption process took another half year, but in the end, I was adopted and my legal name was changed to Saaru Alita. That's also when I moved to Tokyo.**_

_**Being an American-Japanese isn't easy. I used to get picked on a lot for it, but thanks to my guardian, they leave me alone. There's still a time or two that newcomers to the school go after me, but not often anymore. Even so, I don't really fit in...**_

_**The one I refer to as my guardian is a golden amulet around my neck. I was literally born with it. I was told once that the doctors thought that I was being strangled by the umbilical cord, but when they checked it out, they realized that it was a golden chain. My amulet isn't too tight, so I can breathe, but it isn't too loose and nobody has ever been able to remove it. In fact, it doesn't have a clasp. Also, there's this weird strange, sunburst design on the front. Anyway, when I'm attacked, the guardian starts waking up and I start glowing. I barely remember anything when it happens, but I do know that the bullies always ran off. In public, I call it a good-luck amulet, my parents call it my guardian, but in private, I call it my angel amulet.**_

_**When I'm not at the library studying, I'm taking lessons in the sword. All members of the Saaru family are trained and use them, adopted or not, and upon the 19th birthday, a Saaru receives his or her own sword.**_

_**It's been now 13 years since I moved here, and I'm listed as a Japanese citizen. My life is pretty good...with friends, schoolmate admirers, neighbors and parents that care about me...but...there's something missing. I don't know what it is...**_

_I had best see about studying for tomorrow's math test before I go home. After all, when I get there, I need to do practice before the sun gets too low,_ the girl thought. _I can't say the same for Mia...when I left, she had a half-hour of detention and a lecture on punctuality...and I **know** she'll be late getting home. Now if Hayasaka-san catches her, there'll really be--_

"Whoa...hello, hello! Who's that babe there?"

The suddenness of her voice made her jump, then wince when she recognized the source.

_Not those boys again..._

"Jeepers," she muttered, "Some people just don't know when to quit."

"Oh, her? Can't tell what she is. Her name says Japanese, but her looks scream American."

"Maybe she's a Jappie wannabe? Ya know, one of those that wanna be geishas?"

The girl raised an eyebrow and turned to address the speakers, a pair of teenage boys that were American foreign exchange students.

"Haven't you learned from last time, Hutchinson?" she asked, "I told you before to leave me alone."

"What' she talkin' about?" the second boy, a raven-headed boy with a mohawk hairdo, asked, snickering.

"Odd things happen around her," one of the other kids, a boy in a red and black uniform that was similar to Alita's (his white tie marked him as a junior), added from behind, "if you harm her, a spirit wakes up and will attack you."

_Hey...isn't that Hayasaka Hayase, from my school?_ She thought.

"Hey...one of those Jappies talkin' to us?" the first boy, Hutchinson, asked, turning away from the girl.

"You heard me. Leave her alone."

Hutchinson walked up to the schoolmate (_Definitely Hayase)_ and asked, "That so...? Hmm...wonder what it'll do if I do this, then?"

At 'then', the unruly American landed a punch in the junior's stomach, doubling him over and landing him on his knees.

"Hey, that's enough!" the red-headed girl called out sharply and ran over, grabbing Hutchinson by the arm before twisting it behind his back.

"Agh--! She sure acts like a State-side girl," the boy growled in pain as she reached for the other arm.

"Saaru-senpai...thank you," the schoolmate replied as he got up, then bowed respectfully.

"Hayase-kun," she called out, "Hurry out of here."

Her schoolmate nodded and started to go, but after a second, he was frozen in place. He could see that the cur with the mowhawk hair was approaching from behind.

"Saaru-senpai!"

Before she could remark, she felt a blow land to her back from a kick. The pain from the unexpected attack caused her to let go of Hutchinson before she fell to the pavement.

"Hey, thanks, pal. Let's get rid of these trash, fast!"

As she tried to get up, she heard a very familiar hum of electricity.

"Last chance, boys...get out of here now and leave us--"

She was cut off by a kick to her side.

"Shaddup, bitch," Hutchinson snapped.

"Talk about dishonorable," she growled, "Don't get yourselves in any...deeper..."

As she said this, the electric hum grew louder and she began to feel sleepy and gradually distant.

"I told you dishonorable whelps. The spirit's waking up," she faintly heard Hayase say.

_Oh great..._

Indeed, her bust and torso became protruded as ribbons of light began to emit from her chest and neck. As the light continued to grow, her eyes slid shut and her breathing began to gradually slow down. As she became more sleepy and disconnected, she felt something else become more awake and alert.

_If this keeps up, it will...and I will..._

Hayase saw that the light was now beginning to encircle the girl, Alita, in a sort of cocoon manner.

"Get out of here before you make things much worse."

"Just you wait, Saaru, we'll be back!"

The two boys started running as fast as they could in an attempt to get away from the being that was awakening.

The ribbons of light had almost encased Alita when, just as gradually, they retreated back into her neck and chest. Once the lights were gone, her eyes snapped open and she was taking deep breaths.

Hayase hurried over to her and helped her up.

"Saaru-senpai, are you all right?" he asked.

"Y...yes...I'm okay..."

"That was close," her schoolmate said, "The spirit was almost fully awake this time."

"Y-yeah, I could tell. Hayase-kun, I'm going straight home. After that, I don't think I can study at the library."

"I'll escort you home, then."

"No, that's not necessary. You go on, Hayasaka."

"Grandmother would be angry if I left you to go home in your current state, and so would Saaru-san."

"Yeah...my parents would be at that...okay, then, Hayase-kun, let's go."

000000000000

Chiaki watched as the teenage girl, Mia, went from the upstairs bedrooms (changing and making the beds) to the sword display room.

_Hm_, she thought, _there she goes again. She goes in there every day, tasks or not...and there aren't any in there today._

The old woman walked very quietly across the hall, not wanting to be detected.

"Hmm...wonder which one," the woman could hear from inside the room, "Aww! They're all real nice-lookin', but question is, which one's best for..."

She looked inside and saw Mia staring at the swords. In front of one on the far left, she shook her head and muttered something, then looked at one that was closer to the center of the room.

That was when Chiaki spoke.

"Interesting?"

That made the teenager jump and turn around. Her eyes were wide and she had an indescribable expression on her face.

"Going to add thievery to tardiness, girl?"

"N-no way! I'd never steal anythin', not even a sword!"

"I certainly hope not. Why is it you come in here every day, even when you don't have any tasks in this room?"

"I've got my reasons."

"Suddenly become a student of the blade?" she asked in a tone that was certainly sarcastic.

"N-no!"

"Then I think you had best explain...either to me now, or to my son."

That made Mia go very pale.

"F-Fine, I'll tell ya, Chiaki-san."

The old woman walked the rest of the way inside and replied, "Start talking."

"W-well, ya know the yen I get paid on Sunday mornings for working here?"

"Yes...you haven't spent any of it, not in over 2 years. Think I didn't know that?"

"It's because I'm savin' it to buy one of your family's swords."

"Oh? If it's not for you, who is it for?"

Mia breathed in and then said, in one breath, "It's for Lita!"

That surprised the old woman. "Lita?"

"O-oops, I mean Alita-senpai."

"I know who you mean, girl," Chiaki snapped, "But why in the world would you buy her a sword...unless..."

"Her 19th birthday's in less than a week, that's why."

Chiaki stood there for a moment, silently. As she did, Mia took a few breaths, wondering just what the old woman was going to do.

"Get about your chores, as normal," she said after a few moments, "and you had better do your best job for the next 2 days."

"Yes, Chiaki-san."

"Also, unless you have a task in here, stay out of this room. Understand?"

"Yes, Chiaki-san."

"Good. And Mia...this conversation stays within these walls."

"Yes, Chiaki-san!"

"Now, go."

Mia nodded, even bowed in the proper way, then scurried off for the kitchen.

Chiaki looked after the girl, then at the swords.

"Almost 19 years...the time in my vision is almost here..."

000000000000

_**Barge, Pride of the Skies III**_

On board the space going vessel, an old man in strange purple colored robes was staring out at the stars, lost in thought.

_3 years...almost 3 years have passed_, he thought, _since we regained Audric and lost Jayce...and the day that Sawboss' legions began gaining the upper hand._

He sighed and stared sadly at the nearby planet, a now-familiar sight of large, mutant vines spreading and encircling it.

_All we seemed to have been able to do is to slow the Monster Minds down and evacuate the people. This time, we could only do the latter._

_**4**..._

That single number startled him out of his thoughts. The fact that it had been spoken by the voice of a little child made the moment feel eerie.

_Just where did that come from?_ He thought and started to look around him.

There wasn't anyone in the corridor.

"Hmm...am I getting old enough to hear things...?"

As he started to turn back to the vine-infesting planet, he thought that he saw a flash of blue and dark red.

He turned again, this time looking towards one of the rooms. He saw that the door was open and that a young man with dark red hair and a white stripe was entering it.

_Jayce?! That has to be..._

"Wait!"

The old man quickly walked into the open door, hoping to speak to the one that had entered.

It was a set of empty quarters...and other than he, nobody was inside, not even the young man.

"Something is not quite right here...either I am seeing _and_ hearing things, or..."

"G-G-Gillian!"

That hollow, stuttering voice could only come from one source, and as he turned, he saw that he was right: a small suit of armor, helmet included, and carrying a lance.

"What is it, Oon?"

"M-M-master Audric's back with the last of the people. W-we're going to colony planet Vaeron with them."

Gillian sighed and nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"All right. I'm on my way."

"U-um...why were you shouting 'wait' and running into here?"

"It's nothing, Oon...just a bit overworked. Keep this from Audric, all right?"

"O-ok," the Eternal Squire replied and clambered off.

000000000000

_3 days_

_**Tokyo**_

Alita walked out of her house and stretched before checking the contents of her briefcase.

When she had returned from near the library, her father had taken one look at her face and told her to tend to her homework, then go straight to bed, without the daily sword lesson. She definitely needed the extra sleep after what had happened, and the tea that her mother had made had helped her regain her energy.

Now, she breathed a sigh of relief as she found not only her completed homework, but also a belt in one of the compartments. After closing the case, she started walking.

"Mornin', Lita!"

Alita knew the voice immediately, but was surprised by a factor that was normally there.

Her voice wasn't breathless this time, and it was actually further up.

"_Ohayo_, Mia," she replied as she reached her friend, "You're actually ahead of me. What's the occasion?"

"Nothing goin' on, just didn't want another half-hour or lecture."

"That's never stopped you before, but whatever." The redhead smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear as she continued, "Good to see you're starting to take school more seriously. After all, you've only got a year and a half before you graduate, and you'd better have your career chosen before then--"

"Yow, Lita, none of that today, ok? I hear enough of it from the Hayasakas as it is," Mia replied as she rubbed the side of her head.

"Hmm. We'd better get going if we're _both_ going to be on time," Alita replied, "We'll take the shortcut anyway, just to ensure it."

"Sounds good to me!"

As the two girl started off, the older one thought to herself, _It's nice to see her be more serious, but...something's nagging at the back of my mind..._

000000000000

Chiaki shook her head as she hung up the phone.

"Some children never learn..."

"Mother?"

In the hallway was her married son.

"That was Saaru Haruka. Alita-chan had an incident on the way to the library yesterday."

He shook his head. "Accosted?"

"Yes, two foreign exchange students from America. They're the same ones that attacked Hayase."

"Disgraceful and dishonorable. They should know better by now. I take it Haruka's out of the tea again?"

"Yes, she used the last of it last night."

He looked at first his mother, then at the clock.

"Satoshi?"

He sighed and started to say something when they heard a knock at the door.

Chiaki opened it, then when she saw who was there, she was pleasantly surprised.

"Ah, Willse, you're on time for once," Satoshi greeted with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I got to school a little early, so I got no detention."

"So I _had_ no detention," he corrected her.

"O-oh! _Gomen nasai_, Hayasaka-san! _Had_ no detention."

Chiaki saw that Satoshi looked slightly curious and cut in with, "I take it that since you're on time, you're ready to start work?"

"Yeah, Chiaki-san."

"Good. Come with me into the kitchen. You'll start by taking a package of tea to Saaru Haruka."

"Yes, Chiaki-san!"

As the two females went into the kitchen, Chiaki hissed to Mia, "Don't be careless, or you'll draw suspicion, girl!"

"Okay."

After Chiaki prepared the package of tea, she sent Mia off.

0000000000

_**Barge**_

Gillian sighed as he entered his quarters onboard the _Pride of the Skies_, Herc's Barge. It had been a very long day, dropping off the uprooted citizens of the planet at Vaeron, explaining to the government that these people needed temporary homes. To the chagrin of him and Audric, the government leaders had said that this would be the last time that they would accept refugees, that their supplies were running low as it was.

Afterwards, Audric had ordered the course to be set for the planet where the Logos supercomupter resided. Herc had made a sarcastic remark earlier, "If anybody knows what happened to Jayce, don'tcha think it'd be that big chunk of scrap metal, Logos?" It had made Gillian groan, although Audric had taken it very seriously.

Now, as he peered at his reflection in the mirror, he wondered just how long they could go on like this: moving refugees from one world to another, looking for a young man that may well be--

"No," he sighed out loud, "I'm not going to say it unless I have facts to prove it. It would destroy any chances we have to someday eradicate the Monster Minds...and it would crush Audric, too."

_**3...**_

That made Gillian look all around him.

"There's that voice again...! Am I going to be seeing things this time, too?"

He shook his head and turned back to the mirror.

In the reflection was a familiar person, standing beside the window. The person shook his head, reddish-brown hair flapping around with the movement.

"Jayce?" he called out as he turned towards the actual window.

As he turned though, he didn't see Jayce. Although standing in the same place as his image was a person that looked similar. The hair, instead of reddish-brown, was carrot-red.

"What's going on?" he asked the person standing by the window.

He heard the door chime and turned away to answer it.

"Yes?" he asked.

"_It's Audric. Is something wrong? I heard you talking just now to someone--"_

"It's--" Gillian started to explain as he turned back to the window.

Nobody was there, and when he looked in the mirror, there was nobody there, either.

"It's nothing, old friend. I'm just tired."

"_I see. Get some sleep then, Gillian."_

"I will. Good night."

The old wizard climbed into bed to do just that.


	3. To Destiny's Beginning

_Chapter 2: ...to Destiny's Beginning_

_2 days_

_**Tokyo**_

Chiaki nodded with satisfaction as she watched over Mia's tasks. Ever since the discussion in the sword room, the young teenager had not only made it to school and work on time, but did her chores much better than she had done in the past.

_I do believe it will be today,_ she thought to herself, _it is a day early, but she has earned it._

When the teenage girl finished drying and puttingaway the dishes and replaced the chopsticks, she presented herself to the old woman.

"So, what's the next job, Chiaki-san?" she asked.

She peered at the younger girl before replying, "Now, come with me into the sword display room. Quietly."

Mia looked confused, but nodded and followed the old woman.

Chiaki glanced about, looking to see if her son or his wife were in sight. Seeing that nobody was close by, she gestured for the teenager to move, then quickly slid into the large room.

Mia began to say something once she was inside, then changed her mind as the old woman put a finger to her lips and closed the door.

"All right...now for the reason we are in here," Chiaki said, then turned towards the swords.

"Y-yes?"

The woman didn't say anything to Mia, but moved in front of each of the swords, starting with the one on the far left.

The girl said nothing, merely watched. It had been rumored by some people that Chiaki was psychic, although she had never put any stock in it.

The old woman shook her head as she passed by each sword. When she went to the one in the center, she stood still.

Mia kept silent, wanting to know just what was going on.

Chiaki fingered the case and closed her eyes. After a moment, she nodded and said, "Yes...this one is perfect."

"What is?" Mia whispered.

The woman did not answer, unlocking and opening the case. She carefully took out first the scabbard, then the sword itself. Once she sheathed it, Chiaki turned around and faced Mia.

"Come here, now, and put your arms out."

The teenager said nothing and simply walked forward, doing as she was told.

Once she was close enough, Chiaki carefully placed the sword into Mia's proffered hands.

"Is this for...?"

"Yes. Give it to your senpai when you first see her, on her birthday."

Mia's eyes shined with surprise and joy. She then thought a moment and said, "I-If you'll wait a few minutes, I'll go home and get all the yen I've save up--"

Chiaki shook her head. "No. Alita-chan is in for a grand destiny, beyond anything imaginable. Knowing this sword is in her hands is more than payment enough for me."

The girl nodded and asked, "Does this sword have a name, Chiaki-san?"

"Yes...In the English language, it is known as the Sword of Holy Light."

Mia gasped at this revelation.

"You understand, don't you? This sword, blessed by the gods, is our family's most treasured of all of them...and now, it will go to her."

She nodded very quickly.

"I will explain to Satoshi that the sword was given as a present for Alita-chan's birthday, which is very much the truth."

"Thank you so much, Chiaki-san!"

Chiaki smiled softly, then said, "You began work here for the sole purpose of this, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Hmm, I see...now, go ahead and go home, with this sword. I will call your parents and explain, so they do not think you stole it."

"Thank you," Mia replied, bowed carefully while carrying the sword, then left as soon as Chiaki opened the room's door, then the door leading outside.

_I have completed my role,_ she thought, _and soon, Mia Willse will complete hers, though she does not realize it yet._

0000000000

_**Barge**_

_1 day_

Gillian faced the mirror in his quarters, just as he had every night since the strange, child-like voice began its countdown three days ago.

His eyes were a bit red and his face pale and tight from restless sleep. Thankfully, Audric and Herc didn't ask what had been going on, for the scientist had been restless as well.

When the voice had counted to 2, just the night before, the wizard had heard a whisper coming from the window.

_Gillian..._

When he turned, he had seen no one there.

It was when he had turned back that he had seen the familiar image of Jayce in the reflection.

"What is going on?" he called out, "Am I going mad?"

The image shook his head and said six words that Gillian still clearly remembered, even though years had passed.

_Look for me. Come find me._

Those words haunted him throughout the day.

"Hm...what is the voice counting down to, I wonder...? Better yet, what will happen when it ends?" he mused out loud. After a moment, he decided that for once, he did not want to see any illusions in the glass and laid down upon his bed.

The fatigue from the previous few days overtook him, and as he drifted into sleep, feeling as though an unseen wind was pushing him along a path, he heard the voice.

_**1...**_

0000000000

_**Tokyo**_

Alita was on time as she went downstairs. Her mother, a firm and modern woman with black hair, was filling the plates with the morning meal. Her father, a slightly taller and trim man, was wearing a kimono and reading the morning newspaper.

"_Ohayo,_ Alita," she greeted.

"_Ohayo,_ mother. _Ohayo_, father."

Her father looked up and returned the greeting, gesturing for her to sit down.

Alita complied, already thinking ahead to later that morning, when she would be taking a test in algebra. That was something that she did not look forward to: even though she was pretty good at basic math, algebra was her worst subject.

"Did you study last night for your test today?" her father asked, as though reading her mind.

"_Hai_, father."

He nodded, then continued, "Come home immediately after school. You will have your training lesson when you arrive. Also, remember that afterwards, you will spend the rest of the day in meditation and fasting."

"_Hai_, father."

He nodded and returned to his paper.

Saaru Haruka said as she passed out the plates, "And if you can, don't get into any incidents. The last thing you need right now is a repeat of 3 days ago. While it was honorable to protect Hayase-kun, it did wake up your guardian."

"_Hai_, mother."

After her breakfast, Alita picked up her briefcase, bowed to her parents, changed into her shoes, then left the house.

_I hope nothing bad happens, and for more reasons that just my angel amulet waking up,_ Alita thought as she walked down the street.

She looked up and saw something very strange.

In front of her was a very old man, with long, white hair and a beard. He wore a white shirt, but a purple kimono and purple shoes.

_Almost like what the people here in Japan wear but...Weird._

"Hm, very odd," she heard him say as he looked down at himself, "I've never seen anything like this before..."

Alita said, "_Sumimasen..."_

The man looked up and turned to face her.

"Hm?"

"_Ohayo Gozaimasu,"_ she greeted.

"Sorry, I don't know a thing you're saying, young lady."

That startled her.

"Good morning," she switched to English, "Um...why are you looking at yourself like that?"

"I've never seen clothes like this before."

Alita blinked, then shook her head. It'd be impolite to ask if he had hit his head on something...impolite here, that is.

The old man then started straight at her, as though studying something.

"W-What is it?" she asked, "Why're you staring at me?"

"That's quite a necklace you have there," he had said to her, sounding curious and bemused, "Where did you get it?"

Alita peered at him. She got that question a lot, but...

_What's with this guy...? I get the feeling that he's familiar...how come I feel like I can trust him?_

"I didn't get it anywhere, I was born with it. Literally," she replied.

"Born with it? Never heard of that happening before."

"Well, it's true. It's never left my neck, it never rusts or breaks."

"I bet a lot of children pick on you…" he said quietly.

"Most kids do get picked on. I used to be one of them…now people mostly leave me alone. Good thing…whenever I am attacked, this locket glows and light surrounds me…just enough that folks get scared and run. I call it my good-luck amulet."

He chuckled and replied wryly, "If I were the bully, I'd be scared, too." After a moment, he said, "A locket, you say…that should mean that there's something inside it, right my girl?"

She blinked. "I-inside it? It can't be opened, even though it has a hasp. Everyone that tries to, including me, gets shocked. Let me show you."

She then touched the amulet, and as she did, the chain grew in length a bit. When she first learned it could change like that it had scared her, but now it didn't even faze her. Now, she felt for the clasp and moved her fingers as if she were about to try to pry the amulet open.

A second later, she winced and let go of the object, then rubbed her right arm.

"Are you all right?" the old man asked as he traced a finger around the sunburst-pattern that was on the front of the necklace.

"Y-yeah. I just got shocked, that's all. It's odd, though…the shock wasn't anywhere as severe as it used to be. It's pretty minor, now, almost like static electricity."

He chuckled, nodded, then asked as he removed his hand from the amulet, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen," she replied, "I'll…I'll be nineteen tomorrow."

The old man hmm'ed while he thought, then asked, "This is just an idea, dear…but maybe it shocks people because it wasn't the right time to be messing with your amulet. The shock is minor now, you say?"

"Yeah…like it's almost not there."

He nodded, then murmured, "Maybe tomorrow…"

"What about tomorrow?"

"Try opening it then." When she gave him a look, he added with a laugh, "Just my intuition saying so."

"…ita! Lita! Hey, Alita!" she heard a familiar voice.

_Nasally with an accent....that's her, all right. I swear, she reminds me of Molly on America's version of **Sailor Moon**..._

She turned around to see her classmate, Mia, run towards her.

"_Ohayo,_ Mia…how's it going? Listen, I want you to meet this guy here. It seems he knows something about the amu—"

"Lita, what guy? You sure you didn't have one shock too many?"

"Heh, what guy indeed. Hey, why not intro—" when she turned back, her eyes widened. The strange, old man was gone.

"Hey, we've gotta get to school," Mia said and then ran past her.

Alita shook her head and hurried after her friend.

0000000000

_**Barge**_

Up on the bridge, Audric stood silently in the place that Jayce had occupied. The past few days, he did not speak much, but it became increasingly obvious that he had a lot of trouble sleeping.

Herc looked as wide-awake and fresh as he always had been.

"You still can't sleep?"

There was no verbal reply, just a shake of the head.

Herc sighed and said, for the first time, the very thing that he had been thinking.

"Ya know, old man…we've been looking for the kid for three years, ever since that incident on Kitta III. We've had a lot worse luck than when we were lookin' for _you_. I hate to say it, Audric, but maybe…maybe Jayce died when he went into that Vortex."

His head whipped around, eyes tinged with pain at those words. "No! He's got to be alive. Right before we vanished, the ring transferred to me, then shot a beam into that thing."

"Hey, don't snap at me. It's just somethin' that we might have to face. That beam could have done anything. I'm hopin' the kid's fine, myself, just can't contact us for some reason." He then muttered, "Jeeze...you sound like the kid right there, old man..."

0000000000

_**Tokyo**_

_Alita looked around her as she mopped at her forehead. She had never been in a desert area before, much less a planet, and the heat had taken her by surprise._

_**Now...where did I see them...? They must be here somewhere.**_

_That thought stopped her in mid-movement._

_**Them...? Them who? Where am I anyway?** **What's going on?**_

_That was when she heard voices...very familiar ones._

"_Alita!"_

_She turned and saw her parents, some distance away. When they had seen that she saw them, they bowed in a sense of farewell._

"_Mother, father! Where are you going?" she called out and started running._

_As she ran, the image of her parents grew more and more transparent, until they vanished._

"_Hey...come back here! Why are you leaving?"_

_Another image appeared further down the sands, that of Chiaki-san, her son Satoshi-san, and Alita's junior, Hayase-kun._

"_Chiaki-san! Wait!" she said as she continued running._

_The three bowed in farewell, just as her parents had done._

"_Hey! Wait for me! I've been trying so hard to get to..."_

_Their images vanished as well, and just as slowly._

_Even as she ran, Alita became more upset._

_**Who else is going to leave...?**_

"_Hey..! Lita, hey Lita!"_

_That came from her best friend, Mia._

_Up ahead, the girl was in her school uniform, laughing and waving before she started running._

_As Mia ran, she began to vanish._

_**Her I can catch up to...!**_

_Alita ran harder and almost caught up to her friend, who was half-way gone._

_That was when she stumbled and started falling forward._

_As Mia disappeared, Alita reached out with her hand, trying to grab her friend's clothing, screaming..._

With a scream, Alita sat up in her bed.

After she had gotten home, she had her sword lesson, then had forgone dinner and spent the rest of the time until bed in meditation, as all people in the Saaru family did on the night before their 19th birthday.

"Alita? What's wrong?" she heard Haruka call out, "Kaoru--"

Saaru Kaoru called out, "Alita, what happened?"

"I..."

Her mind was racing, trying to explain what she had seen, felt and done.

After a moment, she called back, "It's just a nightmare."

Kaoru replied, "Ah. Drink some tea and then go straight back to bed."

Alita nodded and got right out of bed and went downstairs.

_That nightmare was...creepy...almost real..._

0000000000

_**Barge**_

Gillian groaned as he awakened. When he had fallen asleep, he had heard that blasted voice in his mind, and it felt almost as if it were not a dream.

_Travelling down some darkness....being pushed and guided....and then that odd world I had never seen before. The red-haired girl I had seen glimpses of the past few days,_ he thought, _I talked to her...and she didn't recognize me. Maybe I am seeing things...or I am getting old..._

He got up, picked up the hairbrush and his hat. He started brushing his long hair, getting ready for the day.

Suddenly, the child-like voice spoke.

_It is time. It has begun._

He was startled enough that he dropped not only the brush, but his hat, too. As he bent over to pick them up, only one thing was on his mind.

_Just what has begun...?_


	4. Through the Vortex

_Chapter 3: Through the Vortex_

The alarm clock went off, a rather loud, harsh bell instead of an electronic one. Haruka knew that her only daughter was a light sleeper, depending on the sound…and that bells were louder than buzzers.

Beside the table where the clock was, Alita groaned as she got up. The dream she she had just hours ago still plagued her.

"What a way to start my 19th birthday," she muttered quietly.

As soon as she got dressed into her school uniform, the young woman began brushing her hair with a large, plastic blue hairbrush.

"Alita, hurry up," she heard her father call out, "Your breakfast will get cold."

"I'm hurrying, father," she shouted back.

As the student ate her breakfast and spoke to her parents about events that would be going on after school, she thought about the strange man that had been there the previous day and her nightmare a few hours ago.

"Be sure to be back home shortly after you visit Mia. We have a few surprises of our own," her father told her, his voice as firm as her mother's.

"Yeah…I'll be here on time, no worries there," she replied.

"What was that, Alita?" he asked, voice very disapproving.

She blinked, surprised. When she had replied, it had been in a distracted way that would easily count as disrespectful.

"Oh, _gomen nasai_. _Hai_, father."

"That's better."

The words that the old man had said just yesterday rang and echoed in her mind.

"_Maybe tomorrow…try opening it then."_

Just what was the locket…?

***************

That same morning, Audric had awakened very early. Again, he wasn't able to sleep much. His eyes normally were clear and bright, although some of the brightness had dimmed when his own son, Jayce, had fallen into a Vortex while sending everyone else back to _The Pride_. For the past three years, they had gone looking for Jayce while fighting against the Monster Minds throughout the universe. Unlike when the younger man was searching, there were absolutely no leads nor clues.

Now, though, they were very dim and clouded, as well as etched with pain.

"Oh man, not again...how many nights now has it been, 4?"

"Yes."

"Some kind of nightmare?"

"You could say that."

Herc made a hmph sound and asked, "Wanna talk about it?"

Audric sighed and said, "Kitta III."

The mercenary sighed and said, "Yeah, that'd be enough to give anyone nightmares. Spinach Nose had one last night about the same thing. Screamed loud enough to bring me in runnin'. Had to stay there for a few hours until she went back to sleep."

"Hmm...I wonder if that's what happened to Gillian. For the past few days, he's been acting strangely."

"Maybe they just can't accept the fact that the kid might be d--"

Audric turned around to face him. His features were a little frightening as he said angrily, "Herc Stormsailor, I don't want to hear from you again that you think my son is dead."

"H-hey! I told ya before, it's somethin' we might have to face. If he is, we gotta move on and find a way to take out these overgrown weeds. No need to get so mad."

"Mad about what?" a wizened voice asked, and as they turned to look, they saw a disheveled, weary Gillian come onto the bridge. His eyes looked a little haunted, weary and deep in thought at the same time. Both immediately shut up.

"You have a nightmare too, old friend?" Audric asked sympathetically.

"Probably not the same as yours," the wizard replied, "More like a very strange dream…one involving a red-haired woman with a locket…a _sentient_ locket, from the sound of things."

Before anything could be said, they received a message, from Jal. _Come to Erida II. The planet is under target._

"Under target…? Not again…" Herc groaned. Those two words meant only one thing: the Monster Minds had it in their sights and were probably on their way.

"We'd better take care of this. Talk of nightmares can wait," Audric said quietly, thinking all the while, _Jayce…just where did you go? You've got to be still alive..._

***************

Alita left her house with her briefcase, as usual. Although this time, instead of whistling some music, she was thinking back to the conversation with the strange, old man yesterday.

_Mia thinks I was seeing things, but…I know he was there. My gut says it, and it's almost never been wrong. I don't know why but he definitely seemed…familiar. I've never met him before, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say it was an old friend._

"…ita! Hey! Hey Lita!"

The breathless voice snapped her out of her thoughts She shook her head and saw her friend run up behind her.

"Jeez, you overslept _again_?" she asked, frowning, "Here I thought you had turned over a new leaf. You'll never impress any teachers, much less get into college if you keep doing that. And why in the world are you bringing a _backpack_?"

The other girl winced and habitually rubbed her head as she replied, "No, I got up early. I'm just late because, er, well…"

Alita laughed and shook her head again, and was about to begin one of her lectures about punctuality when Mia continued, "Hey Lita…hold up a minute. I got something for ya."

One red eyebrow raised as she asked, "Oh?"

"Yeah! Go ahead and look in the backpack, it took me a while to get the thing in."

She nodded and saw something very long protruding at the top of the backpack and picked it out.

"I didn't have time to gift wrap it, either, but it's not the sort of thing you wrap," Mia continued.

Alita gaped as she looked at it. If her eyes were not deceiving her, then the item was a…a sword!

"Mia…how did you know?!" she exclaimed as she ran her hand along the scabbard.

She drew the blade and examined it, as she had been taught to do, with a scrutinizing eye.

"I have my ways, just as I know that upon the nineteenth birthday, you're supposed to be given a sword of your own. Well…happy birthday, Lita!"

Alita laughed, "Thanks, Mia. You're the best friend a girl can have." She then remarked, "This sword…it seems really familiar." She peered at it and gasped. "This--! This is the--"

"That's right. It's from the Hayasakas." Mia then explained everything, including the fact that she had been working at their home for the express purpose of buying one of their swords. The younger girl then added what Chiaki had said and that she has refused payment.

"Lita, what do you think Grandma Chiaki meant about that?"

The older woman chuckled, then grinned and pulled out a belt from her own backpack, one that she had been keeping for the past month. Unlike belts in this modern day, this one was of a special design. Once she had the belt around her waist, she slipped the new sword, scabbard and all, through a loop.

_What in the world made Chiaki-san give her __**this**__ sword, of all the ones they had? I better take very good care of it._

"No idea. I'm not about to discredit what she says, but I'd also take it with a grain of salt if I were you, Mia. Chiaki-san is supposedly psychic, you know."

_Maybe tomorrow…try opening it then_, repeated over and over in her mind, and Alita looked down at the locket, murmuring, "It's tomorrow…Maybe I should."

"Should what?" Mia asked, then frowned. "Aww Lita, if you get shocked too many times, it's gonna fry some brain cells."

"I've got a feeling it'll be different this time. Plus, there's something about what the old man said yesterday…"

"Alita, are you ok? You're starting to scare me. I told ya, there was no old man yesterday. C'mon, let's get to school."

Normally, she listened to Mia on that, but this time, Alita acted as though she didn't hear her, closed her eyes and placed her hand a little below the necklace. Within seconds, she felt the locket resting comfortably in her hand.

"Yow, Lita! Not again!"

It had frightened the senior long ago the first time that the strange necklace had changed the length of chain, but by now, anyone around her was very used to it. She opened her eyes and lifted the object to eye-level as she felt for the hasp.

"Why do ya do this to me?" she heard her classmate whimper.

Alita placed one fingernail between the two parts of the hasp, as she had always done. Usually at this point, it would begin a small, yet high-pitched whine, and in the past, it would soon be followed by a shock starting from the fingers and ending in the shoulder.

This time, there was no whine, but the locket seemed to _hum_, of all things.

She pressed upwards a little bit, wanting to know if the old man was right, and fearing a shock at the same time.

There was no reaction except the hum.

The teenager took a deep breath and pressed upwards, as she would have for any normal locket.

There was a small click, and the door actually _opened_!

"My g—the door's finally open!" Alita exclaimed, and moved the top door carefully to the left.

Inside was the same sunburst design, although in the center, there was something…odd. She couldn't say what it was, but she did know it was…alive. It _felt_ alive.

On the inside of the door was numerous words engraved upon it. Alita looked closer to see what it was, but there were only two words she could read that she understood.

"This is odd. 'Dataform…Ja…'"

"Whoa! Lita? Lita?! What's going on?"

Mia's voice sounded truly panicked, and Alita looked up from the amulet to tell her to calm down. When she realized why, she almost screamed.

From the moment that she had opened the locket, the red-head's feet had left the ground, and she rose into the air. Now, she looked down and saw that her junior was below her, on the ground…and looking very scared.

"Lita! Alita Saaru, don't go!"

As the classmate exclaimed that, Alita called out, "Help me! Mia, help!"

She rose even higher into the air and her entire body began to shimmer with light.

"Mia, go tell father!" she shouted and found the air around her shimmering…and then solidifying in the form of a clear sphere…or maybe a bubble.

Mia didn't hear the command to tell her father, but kept yelling and calling her name.

The light surrounding the sphere grew until it blinded the schoolgirl. When it faded away, the bubble was gone…and so was Alita.

***************

Alita blinked, almost panicky as she found herself surrounded by the clear bubble…and in a place that was black, with blue waves from time to time.

She tried to take a few deep breaths to calm down, then began beating on the clear sphere.

After it quivered a couple of times, she heard a very clear voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. The voice sounded distinctively male.

_Don't. If you mess with the bubble, you'll die._

"Wha…Just who is this? What's happening to me?"

_Don't worry. Just trust me and close your eyes for now. You'll be all right._

"O-okay," she replied and sat back in the bubble as she closed her eyes.

As she did, she began to feel a kind of warmth bathing her, and coming from her locket.

_Just what is this…? I'd look, but the voice told me not to…_

A moment later, she felt something…almost _solid_ wrap around her before the warm light made her fall asleep.

***************

In a short time, _The Pride_ arrived on the planet that Jal had specified, Erida II. The moment that Gillian and Flora both ran their unique scans, the Lightning League could see just why the planet was under target.

There was a high amount of vegetation, a rich civilization…all the things that the Monster Minds would be looking for.

"I don't sense Monster Minds yet," she had added, "They're not here yet."

"Looks like we got ahead of the bugs for once," Herc replied with surprise, "Last time we did that was at the Circus Planet."

Audric nodded and was about to give the order to land when he felt something…very odd.

The necklace around his neck was giving off very small vibrations.

At the same time, the flying fish, which had grown in size to match Flora's size and age, began to squeak in tones that were obviously nervous.

"Old friend, is something wrong?" Gillian asked from behind him.

"Th-the Root…it's reacting to something," he replied, "It's faint but—"

Before any further comment could be made, Flora yelped and said, "Something's coming! Not Monster Minds, but…something powerful!"

"I-I see it!" Oon exclaimed, pointing at the main viewscreen, and behind the Eternal squire, the flying fish, Brock, was also squeaking in frantic tones.

All the others looked up, including Herc, and watched as a single beam of light appeared from the sky, stretching towards the planet's surface below.

Flora peered at the light and blinked twice before she saw the outline of something…

"Looks kind of like a circle…with a person inside," she found herself saying out loud.

"A sphere…and yeah, there's someone in it," Herc replied after zooming in on the image, as well as putting the light filter into place, "It's weird. Half the time, it's a stranger, but I thought I saw…you're gonna laugh, but I thought I saw Jayce inside it!"

"You too?!" Audric asked, sounding both bewildered and hopeful, then added, "You know what that means."

"Yep!" Herc replied, "We find that sphere before the Monster Minds do! Hey Gillian, where's it gonna land?"

"A forest in the northern hemisphere," the wizard replied, "near a man-made lake."

"Then let's go!"


	5. Dataform

_Chapter 4: Dataform_

As soon as the vessel had landed on the planet and it had been decently camoflauged, Gillian turned to everyone on the bridge, glancing at times at Audric. This had been their first clue as to Jayce's whereabouts in three years, and he didn't want to raise any false hopes that could be shattered.

"We're about five miles from the start of the forest," the older man began, "But thankfully, the spot where the man-made lake is isn't far from there. We'll head out on transports, and I don't want anyone going alone if I can help it. Flora, you go with Gillian. Herc, Oon, you come with me. If you find that sphere or the passenger, signal us."

Flora nodded and Brock squeaked beside her in acquiescence. It meant that most likely, Flora would be on the flying fish, but staying close to the wizard.

"O-of course, Master Audric!"

"You got it!"

"The same applies if any Monster Minds come. Whatever was in that light, we can't let them get it!"

Those very words echoed in the minds of Gillian and Flora as they traveled, the wizard in Drill Sergeant and the child on Brock. A few moments before, the two of them had felt a tremor and a booming noise, and now were going towards the source. Flora had said it was not the Monster Minds, so that left the strange light.

She now spoke quietly to the forest as they moved, asking questions about the tremor, the noise and the light. After a moment, she gasped, stopped, then said, "What? It's where? What was inside the sphere…" A long moment passed before she nodded to herself, "Thanks, I'll go now!" She then tapped Brock, who immediately shot past Gillian.

"Hey now! Flora, where are you going!" he called out, annoyed.

"They say the sphere landed near here. There was someone inside it. They couldn't tell me who it was, but the person's still there," her voice rang over the intercom.

"Don't go so fast! What if the Monster Minds choose now to attack…?"

There was a gasp over the speakers.

"Flora…? Flora!"

000000000000000

The young plant-girl stood on the ground, peering at the center of a hill that was overlooking the man-made lake. When the sphere within that beam of light landed, there had been a crater left behind, but it was not as big as she imagined it.

Brock hovered beside Flora and squeaked at her. She heard Gillian's worried voice and called back, faintly, "It's…I'm okay. Gillian, it's a _girl_!"

Flora realized just how silly that statement sounded, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the center of the small crater was a young woman, about Jayce's age, with carrot-red hair that went down to her shoulders. She wore a red and white blouse with a green ribbon, blue skirt, white socks and black shoes. Around her waist was a sword…and the girl was currently in a fetal position on the ground.

"A girl? It's not Jayce. Audric's going to be crushed," the wizard replied, feeling tired all of a sudden, "I'll be right there."

000000000000000

The very first thing Alita perceived was a headache. It was dull, but present, and steady. And the different sounds of nature didn't help, either.

"…set off the flare as soon as I see you," she heard a familiar voice, that of the old man she had talked to.

"Ok…" a young girl's voice replied.

Within the blackness of nothing, the girl tried to open her eyes, only to find it not that easily done.

"What's this...? _Tsurugi_..._no_..._sei_..._hikari_...?"

_C'mon, open those jades,_ she thought, _gotta see just where you wound up after opening the amulet._

As she fought her way through black waves, she heard a groan coming from a shrinking distance.

"Hey…she's coming to!"

_Not so loud, kid_, she wanted to admonish, but kept clawing her way. As soon as her head broke the surface of the black waves, her eyes fluttered open. She then rolled over until she was on her back.

Above Alita, sunlight danced between the branches of trees, streaming upon her face. It was a soft light, not too dim and not blinding, either. She could hear the sound of water waves…probably what gave her the impression that she was fighting through black water. She also felt a soft wind surround her body.

A second later, a girl leaned into her line of vision. She definitely looked like a young teenager, perhaps 13 or 14, even with her red hair in three ponytails, and her green eyes looked at Alita with curiosity.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're my sister…or a clone," the older girl said quietly.

"Not unless you're made from a plant. Want some help up?"

"N-no, it's okay. I can sit up by myself."

As she spoke, Alita slowly moved, knowing that speed only brought trouble. Within a few minutes, she managed to scramble out of the crater and sat on the grass. The strange girl sat down beside her.

"What are those clothes you're wearing?"

"This? It's my school uniform."

"School? How old are you?"

"As of today, I'm nineteen. How about you?"

"I turned thirteen last month."

_Looks I was right about her age._

"Hey, miss…what's your name?"

The older girl thought for a moment, then replied, "Lita—I mean…Alita Saaru. Lita for short."

She laughed, then said, "It's a cute name, Lita."

"Hey, only my friends call me Lita," she retorted, and then groaned at the sense of familiarity that was washing over her, "But I wouldn't mind it from you….in private, though!"

"That's fine with me. I'm Flora."

"Flora, eh? Somehow…it seems like I've heard it before."

Before the younger girl could reply, there was the sound of a vehicle coming in their direction, and within moments, a white vehicle with a drill on the top pulled up close to the hill and its driver exited before he carefully slid down the crater and then walked to them.

"Gillian, she's over here—"

The moment that Alita saw the man, their eyes widened and they said at the same time, _"You!"_

"Stranger and stranger," the man spoke quietly.

"Gillian, do you know Alita?"

"Know me?" the woman replied, anger growing from her stomach, "That's the guy that got me into this mess, and far from home!"

"Got you into…then that wasn't a dream?" Gillian asked.

"Dream, shream! You're the one that had me open my amulet and thanks to that, I'm here."

The old man didn't say anything, although he began to look truly regretful.

"Alita, what do you mean?"

She sighed loudly and replied, "Later, Flora."

"But--"

"Later, I said! Just what world am I on anyway, and how far is it back to Earth?"

The plant-girl looked at her in a puzzled manner, asking, "What world? Earth?"

Gillian replied, "My girl, her planet, Earth, existed several millenia ago." He turned to the strange woman, "So, your name is Alita…That amulet of yours brought you here when it was opened, true. It's not only a matter of you coming to a different world, my dear."

Her eyes dimmed as she answered, "So…I'm in the distant future, where Earth doesn't exist."

"Precisely."

Flora winced as she heard this. "Oh no, I'm sorry Li—Alita," she said and patted her shoulder.

"Old man, you got me into this mess, you can get me out of it!" she snapped as she pointed at him.

"My dear, even as knowledgable as I am, I don't know how to send you back to your own home and time."

"Are you telling me I'm stuck here?"

"Maybe not," Flora cut in quickly, "Maybe somebody knows how she can get home. I bet Audric might know."

Alita blinked at this. For some reason, hearing the name caused her to feel a sudden…sadness, perhaps longing. "Maybe you're right. So where is this Audric?"

"We'll take you to him, Alita," Gillian told her and reached out to help her up, which got him a defiant look as she stood up by herself.

"She wasn't this rude before," Flora said to the old man, puzzled.

"She's angry, and has a right to be. Alita's correct when she says that I got her into 'this mess'. I'm the one that told her to open the locket the next day," Gillian replied as the woman dusted herself off, then started checking about her waist carefully, then breathe a sigh of relief as she saw what looked like a sword.

"Thank goodness. Glad I didn't lose my birthday present when I got here," she said to herself.

"That sword is a birthday present?"

"Well yeah. I got it from my best friend, Mia, before all this happened."

Gillian quickly set off what looked like a flare, high into the sky. At almost the same time, Alita dropped into a crouch, her face turning green.

"Are you all right, child?" the old man asked, concerned.

"U-ugh…s-something polluted splashed onto pure water, and it's making the water poisonous," she said quietly while trying to fight the vertigo down.

He bent next to her and placed a hand on her forehead as he asked, "Strange indeed. Flora, any chance you understand this?"

"Yes, I do. That's what I feel when I sense Monster Minds—" she cut herself off and gasped before she called out, "Monster Minds! They're here!"

Gillian chanted something, causing a white mist to fall all over Alita. Within a couple of moments, the woman's face had gone from green to a shade of pale below normal.

"Wh-whatever you did, thanks," she said, grateful, then asked, "Monster Minds? What's she talking about?"

"We'll explain later," he replied, "Flora, what direction are they coming to?"

"I can't really tell," Flora replied, with Alita saying a second later, "They're coming here!"

"Flora, take Alita to Drill Sergeant and call the others," Gillian said quietly but firmly, "The Monster Minds must be trying to find her!"

The two girls hurried towards the vehicle at close to a dead run, although as soon as they could see down the hill, they paused, the younger teenager grimacing.

The white vehicle was mostly covered in giant vines, plants that were starting to advance up the hill.

The older woman blinked, touched her sword hilt…then when she blinked, Alita drew her blade and began to charge.

"Lita! No! Those things are dangerous!"

Alita didn't reply, even when one of the vines shot right at her. The sword in her hand began to glow bright white and she slashed at the plant, cutting the vine into two quickly.

"Gillian," Flora called out, "Please call Audric!"

000000000000000

"What? We're on our way!" Audric replied on his communicator, then said to Herc, "Flora and Gillian are being ambushed by the Monster Minds…and so is the person in the sphere!"

"You gotta be kiddin'! We've gotta punch it on the double!"

"My words exactly, Captain," the older man replied and said, "Lightning League Vehicles, change course to rendezvous with Drill Sergeant!"

"_Command acknowledged!"_

"It'll be a bit before we can make it," Audric said quietly, "I just hope we aren't too late."

000000000000000

Flora watched, amazed, as the older woman, Alita, used that sword of hers to cut through the vines that were surrounding Drill Sergeant. She had seen plenty in her few years of existence, but never before had she seen what looked like a simple weapon appear to emit white beams at times whenever one of the vines got too close to her. The light would disintegrate the target to ashes. The woman seemed to almost glide as she moved from vine to vine.

"Hey, Flora, it's clear now. Let's go get the old man and go," she turned and called out…just in time to see another set of vines come from another direction, heading right for the younger girl at unbelievable speed.

"Flora, watch out!" she called as she ran back up the hill…and growled as the enemy—_Unbelivable that I'm calling a plant an enemy!_—wrapped itself around the plant-girl's throat just as she reached the top. Alita brought the shining sword upwards in a ground-to-sky diagonal slash.

The slash cut through the vine, causing the severed part to wither while the other half had obvious burns and acted as though it were retreating.

"You ok, little one?" she knelt beside Flora as she asked, checking her.

She coughed and rubbed her throat, nodding. "Thanks, Lita."

"Good. Go down to the vehicle, I'll get the old man." She hardly believed her own tone and statement. She was the newcomer, the outlander, and she was acting as though…

_This is weird...really weird._

"O-okay," she replied and started down the hill again.

Alita turned to go find the old wizard—_he's gotta be some kinda wizard, right out of a fantasy book!—_and found him using what definitely appeared to be magic, burning whatever monster vines came at him, and at a fast pace.

She hurried to him to back him up, just enough to get away from…from whatever this was.

"You ok?"

"T-tired," he murmured, "Age has…its drawbacks."

"Do anything super fast and anyone's gonna be that way. The vehicle's loose for now, and the kid's gone down there. We'd better follow her lead," she replied. In the back of her mind, she was alarmed. Something very weird was going on ever since she opened that amulet of hers…stuff that had never happened before.

_Just what's going on?_

"I think…you're right. The Monster Minds are definitely…after you."

Her eyes widened as she asked, "_Those_ are _Monster Minds_?"

"Part of them, but not the beings themselves. We've got…to get to Audric."

"Yeah…" she said and her eyes widened. Behind the wizard, a pair of vines, side by side, were coming out of a new direction. She knew that she wouldn't have time to cut them down, and the man was a bit too weary for spells.

"No!" she snapped and shoved the man out of the way, who stumbled forward and to the ground.

A split-second after the man was safely out of the way, she felt something hit her in the side, shoving her very quickly to the right. She went soaring over the hill, and soon began to fall…with the lake far below her.

"Alita!" she heard him call out.

000000000000000

As she fell, Alita faintly heard something echo around her…a heartbeat, it seemed.

_I-I can't swim,_ she thought, _If I hit the water, I'll drown…_

The heartbeat seemed to become a little louder and to her, the motion actually changed. It was slower, yet she was still falling, head-first.

The words engraved inside the door of her locket appeared in her mind, both the understandable and the intelligible ones.

_What am I going to do…?_

From nowhere and everywhere, the same male voice from the black nothingness spoke.

_**Invoke…say the words you know.**_

_Wh-what? Who is this?!_

_**If you want to live, say it!**_

Around her neck, the amulet glittered and then glowed three times.

_All right, all right!_

She closed her eyes and called out, "Dataform …Jayce!"

Alita's body suddenly became engulfed by first body-long white wings that erupted from her shoulders, then a blinding white light as she felt herself fall through from air to water—_Why can I breathe…?—_to air again.

Before she could perceive what was going on, she immediately lost consciousness.

000000000000000

"Alita!" Gillian called out as he saw her fly off of the hill and plunge towards the water. It had all happened so fast that he could barely believe it. She had, without a word, pushed him forward, causing him to roll on the ground twice. When he turned to look, she was airborne.

_If she hadn't done that, it would have been me,_ he thought, then started running towards the bottom of the hill. Flora would be there and if he was lucky, he could get Alita out before there was a chance of her drowning.

He faintly heard a shout…right before the entire area exploded in white light.

The explosion knocked him down and sent him rolling…right into Drill Sergeant.

The brilliant white light that was obscuring Gillian's sight was also doing other damage…namely burning the monstrous vines into ash, while leaving the other vegetation intact. After the area had been…the closest word would be _purged_, the white light began to expand until it seemed that it would cover the entire forest.

After what seemed a long time, the light faded, but the wizard still couldn't see.

He heard a very familiar voice simply say, "The blindness will pass."

"Is—is that you?!"

000000000000000

When the blinding light vanished, a single being stood on the edge of the river. It was impossible to tell what it looked like, much less if it was a man or woman, since it was covered in white light.

S/he stumbled at first, as though not used to moving, then slowly walked towards the vehicle, looking first at the wizard. It was very obvious that the man was conscious, yet unable to see.

When the being spoke, it was a male's voice. "The blindness will pass."

"Is—is that you?!" he spoke.

The light-clad form did not answer him, but looked in the machine instead. The light had knocked out the teenager within, but other than that and some bruises around the throat, she was unharmed.

He—_It has to be a man,_ Gillian thought—sat inside the driver's seat, ruffled the young lady's hair affectionately and activated a switch inside the machine.

000000000000000

Audric, Herc and Oon was speeding as fast as they could to Gillian's location when the white light appeared, then grew in size. The instant that it grew, the older man had ordered filtering screens to be activated, which was done just in time before the light encompassed the three.

"What in the world is that light?" Audric asked and found that the vehicles were not moving…as though they were in stasis.

"_Aw nuts! Those guys get attacked and now we get frozen by some crazy light!"_ he heard Herc growl.

"I can't get the cockpit to open," Audric replied grimly, "I'll keep trying, though."

A moment later, the brilliant white light faded from around them, yet the effects did not end.

A light went off in the panel, indicating communication, then a very familiar voice spoke.

"_Father, Gillian…"_

The older man gasped in shock. That was—

"Jayce?! Is that you? Where are you?"

"_I don't have much time. You two, record the voice of Alita Saaru into the Lightning League vehicles and grant her access to voice commands."_

"I-I'll do it, just don't go! We've been looking for you—"

"I know, but I have to go now. I love you, father…"

"Jayce?" The other end of the comlink was silent. _"Jayce!"_

000000000000000

When Audric arrived with the others, he quickly ran to Drill Sergeant, calling out, "Flora! Gillian…!"

Gilian sat on the ground, his back against the vehicle. From then look on his face, it seemed that the wizard was unlucky enough to be blinded by the white light. Inside the vehicle, Flora sat in one of the seats, unconscious. Beside her, in the driver's seat, a very unusual young woman was slumped back, also knocked out. Her head and arm was shimmering for a moment before that faded too.

"What…is this…?" he asked quietly, lifting her arm and examining it closely for a second before he heard Flora groan, waking up.

"Oohh, my head," she muttered, then looked up. "A-Audric…did you get rid of them…?"

"Them…? No, I just got here, Little Orchid," he replied, "Who is this…?"

Flora looked beside her, then answered, "That's the one that was in the sphere. Her name's Alita…Alita Saaru."

"Did you say Alita Saaru?" he exclaimed.

"Yes, but why?"

"I don't know how, but Jayce…I know for certain now that my son is alive," he replied, "I spoke to him for only a moment."

"A-are you sure about that?" Herc asked, startled, "I didn't hear a thing in my speakers."

"I heard him too," Gillian said wearily, "He said to record Alita's voice. I think…I think the blindness is wearing off, just like he said."

There was a second groan, this time coming from the older woman. There was nothing spoken as she opened her jade-green eyes and focused on the form outside of the strange vehicle.

Gillian got up and stood beside Audric. "Alita! How did you survive…? I saw you fall towards the lake!"

"Don't ask me how, Gillian," she replied, "I sure don't know. I can't remember a thing."

Audric wasn't sure if she was telling the complete truth, although he himself could see she didn't know how she lived through such a fall.

"Mmm...hey, who are you?" she asked, ignoring the sense of relief and sadness that went through her.

"My name is Audric. So…you're the one that arrived in the sphere on a beam of light."

She nodded, then asked, "I've got a question for you."

"What is it?"

"Just how am I gonna get home? Gillian said you might know."

000000000000000

Onboard _The Pride_, Audric and the others listened to Alita's story. At first, it seemed incredible, although none of them could deny that it was extremely possible, considering all that they had been through on this planet.

"So that's why you asked me…and why you hold Gillian responsible for your predicament. I had no idea that the dream he had was actually something else altogether. I'm afraid I don't know how to get you home, Alita," Audric said after a long moment, "and I don't like the idea of you traveling this universe alone."

"You'd be right," she replied, "But if I have to, I will. I won't accept that I'm stuck here for good."

The man chuckled and his eyes brimmed for a moment. "So feisty, yet sharp…you remind me of my own son."

"Your…son?"

"Yes. He…vanished three years ago, and we've been looking for him ever since, while battling the Monster Minds."

Herc looked between the older man and the new woman, then asked cautiously, "Hey, don't tell me you're gonna—"

"Alita, why don't you come with us? From what Flora's said, you're rather handy with that sword of yours…and I think you may have caused the light that destroyed the Monster Minds on the planet below. Also as we travel, we'll look for a way to you to return home."

She thought for a moment, then said quietly, "You're all strangers to me, but…at the same time…I could almost swear that I've met you all before. I feel…that I can trust you." She was quiet for another moment before she added, "All right, Audric, you've got a deal. I'll also help you find your son. What's his name, anyway?"

"Jayce," was the quiet reply.

Alita managed to cover her reaction of alarm before it could touch her face. _The words I spoke…Dataform—no, I better not. Maybe even thinking those can trigger—no, got to be a coincidence._

"You don't look so good," Flora said, concerned.

"I-I'm just tired. After all, I just had a very long-distance trip," she replied wryly.

"So you have. Herc, let's get out of here. Alita, I'll show you to your room. After you rest, I'll need you for something," Audric told her.

"Thank you."

000000000000000

In the strange, yet tidy room that Audric had taken her to, Alita sat on the bed, relaxing her muscles and mind, trying to prevent the former from cramping and the latter from shutting the body down for sleep just yet.

"This has been one _heck_ of a day…and the worst way to celebrate my nineteenth birthday," she said quietly, "I don't even know what time of day it is here…"

She decided with a sigh to look about her for something resembling a nightgown and walked towards what looked like a futuristic dresser. As she moved, she walked past a full-length mirror. She started to continue when she stopped and did a double-take when she walked back to it.

In the looking-glass, she looked like the same old Alita Saaru…almost. There were little changes that she could see, changes that must have happened when she was knocked unconscious.

On her right arm, a long, metallic band covered from wrist to just below the elbow. The device had all kinds of switches and a speaker.

_Pretty weird,_ she thought, then looked closer.

Around her head was a silver circlet, with a large garnet that was precisely centered in the middle, covering between her eyes, which were still jade-green.

_Cute decoration, wonder how I got it…_

She moved her hair about to see if there was a spot she could remove the circlet from without hurting herself…and then she froze, focusing on the hair itself.

It was still carrot-red and the length was still right, but there seemed to be a shine down the middle of her hair, even in the front. She put a hand to block out the light to that section…and saw that it wasn't light reflecting off her hair.

Down the middle of her hair was a wide, white stripe…and as she gripped it in her hand, she could see her hair actually had two different tones…carrot-red, with streaks of red-brown throughout.

After everything that she had been through that day, this had shocked her most…and was very frightening.

When she opened her mouth to take a calming breath, she did the exact opposite: Alita screamed.


	6. Introducing

_Chapter 5: Introducing_

Gillian was in his quarters, resting from his ordeal. He had accompanied Audric and Alita when the newest member was being shown to her quarters. After all, as the young woman had said, he had exhausted himself a little too much. Now, though, as he lay on the bed, he thought about the voice he had heard while blinded.

"_The blindness will pass…"_ was the first, followed by, _"Father, Gillian…"_

He had faintly heard Audric's reply. The voice, Jayce's voice it seemed, answered, _"I don't have much time. You two, record the voice of Alita Saaru into the Lightning League vehicles and grant her access to voice commands."_

This time, he heard Audric. The older scientist pleaded for the voice to not go, that they had been looking for him.

"_I know, but I have to go now. I love you, father…"_

"Was that actually Jayce, I wonder…?" he thought out loud now, "And if so, why has he surfaced three years later…?"

His own thoughts were shattered by a sound coming from next door: a woman's scream.

He quickly leapt from his bed and hurried out of his quarters, then rushed into the one to his left.

"What happened? I heard a scream—" he asked as he came in, then saw what was going on. The occupant was staring right into a full-length mirror with a rather horrified expression on her face.

"Alita! What's wrong, my girl?" the wizard asked as he hurried over to her.

She quickly looked at him and spat out in anger and panic, "What does it look like that's wrong, old man…?"

He sighed, his patience wearing a little thin with her rudeness.

She shook her head and said in a somewhat quieter tone, "I'm sorry, Gillian…but look at me! This is _not_ how I came here, much less how I was born…"

He replied, "Apology accepted," and looked at her closely. She remained still while he did, and silent.

"Good heavens, my girl, why do you have…"

"Have what?" she asked.

"The armlet is Jayce's for certain…and that circlet is worn by only those from Audric's planet or a few from the planet of Aunitia."

"I wish I knew that myself…but what really freaks me out is my _hair_! Gillian, just what's happening to me…?"

"There are some things that even I don't know about or much of," he replied kindly, "I'll mention this to Audric…but for now, you need your rest."

"Sure…but one thing's for sure…I'm going to need some clothes other than this."

"Next safe planet we come to, I'll help you buy some."

After the wizard had left, the young woman lay on the bed, deciding not to bother with changing clothes, staring at the ceiling.

"Maybe if I go to sleep, I'll actually wake up in my own house and this will all be just a bad dream," she murmured as she closed her eyes, "A very bad dream."

000000000000000

Audric was on the bridge when he heard familiar footsteps from behind. He sighed and said without turning around, "And here I thought you were getting some much-needed rest, old friend."

"I was, until a few minutes ago, Audric. Any chance I can talk to you in private?"

He knew that it had to be serious or puzzling if the old wizard was forgoing much-needed rest. He nodded and walked towards him, then went through the door into an empty hallway.

"What's happened? Is it that new lady…?"

"Astute as always, Audric," he replied, then told his friend about what had happened in her new quarters, as well as what her original appearance had been.

Once the sorcerer had finished reporting what he had seen, Audric's eyes first widened with surprise, then narrowed in concentration. After a long, silent moment, he said, "It sounds like Dataform is involved."

"Dataform?"

"Yes. It's a very new species that is only just now being classified and researched," he explained, "New enough that you wouldn't know about it, so don't feel bad."

"What exactly is it, and how come you know about it?"

Audric's smile was a little grim, "The study of Dataform came about as a direct result of one of your trips while searching for me. Does the Logos supercomputer ring any bells?"

"Logos…Logos! Now I remember," he replied after a moment, "the supercomputer that gained split personalities."

"Exactly. The process of changing living things into data was researched by some of the more advanced civilizations, including Aunitia. As a result, it was discovered that there were variants of the end result of Logos' process…some of them were mostly dormant…although a good number were active, even as data. The researcher to discover the latter type declared it as a sentient being and gave it the name Dataform."

"And you were the researcher," Gillian deduced.

"No, not me, Gillian, but it is someone we all know. Dea."

"Oh? Now I wish I had gone to the new wing of the Library three years ago, as she insisted. I would have seen this coming."

Audric sighed and shook his head, continuing, "These lifeforms are also very well-known for the fact that if one interacts with a person, a high number of things can happen that defy physics or any laws of nature. There is one piece of advice that Dea gave that is very true, 'If there is a Dataform involved, the best thing to do is to throw out the rule book.'"

"What should we do?"

"Just watch her for now, Gillian…and don't tell her just yet what it is she's involved with. Another thing about that species is that dependent on the form itself and the person, the Dataform could be either benevolent or malevolent." He paused before he added, "I'll contact Dea as well and ask for her assistance."

"All right, I'll do that…although it might be a good idea for Flora to watch her. Alita is…rather hostile towards me and seems to get along well with the child." He shook his head and amended, "I mean the young lady...it's hard to remember that the being we created is a teenager now."

"Understandable, on all counts. All right, Flora it is. You should get some rest, you'll need it for when Alita is up and about. Jayce wants her voice recorded, and we'll have to teach her how to use the vehicles."

"I'll head back for my quarters now, then…" he replied, yawned, then took off.

"Just what have we gotten ourselves into?" Audric asked himself, "messing with Dataforms and strange girls…"

0000000000

_A young teenage girl was in her room, tapping almost constantly on a computer. Her room had a number of high-tech gadgetry in it, a pair of blackboard slates, and a lot of papers scattered throughout the room. It was a pain to try to keep any of the papers up, so for the most part, the girl just left them wherever they lay. That was something that her mother had often lectured her over several times. In fact, she still did. On some of the papers were notes on botany, and the rest involved math._

_On the computer, she was working on a rather complicated set of equations for a formula. Whenever her hair would get into her face, she would jerkily and hastily tug it away._

"_Maskura!" she heard from the other room._

_The teenager kept typing._

"_Maskura, get in here. We need to talk."_

"_In a minute, mother. I've almost got the formula for stable grain acceleration worked out."_

"_This is important, or I wouldn't be bothering you. Get into the living room."_

_The girl nodded and hit a set of keys to save her current work, then scooted off her chair and walked into the living room._

_The room was as cozy yet efficient, as always, with chairs, sofas and footstools. Her mother, a woman with red hair with a bit of white to it in the middle, sat straight in one of those seats, her hands in her lap. She was a bit slim, most definitely elegant, although a little pale._

"_Yes, Mother?"_

"_I received a transmission a few minutes ago that you might be interested in."_

"_How so? I get a lot of transmissions from scientists."_

"_Yes, but this one is different. It's an invitation for you to join a special project, involving botany and math."_

_That made the girl listen closer._

"_I'm listening."_

"_This project, for the most part, has staff members that are in their forties or higher. You would be the first one to join in your teenager years."_

"_Yes, that's true...hmm..."_

"_Maskura?"_

"_I've heard of a botanical project whose goal is to end starvation, universe-wide. Is that this project I've been invited to?"_

"_Y-yes, it is."_

"_Who is the head of the project?"_

_The mother sighed and said, "Maskura, honey...you've heard me mention a man named Audric before, right?"_

"_More than once, mother. You've told me so many things about him that I don't need to count. What about it?"_

"_Well...the one who extended the invitation is Audric himself."_

_The girl, Maskura, was silent for a few minutes, then said, "What is his comm-code?"_

"_It's on the computer. Why? Are you going to decline the invitation?"_

"_On the contrary, mother. I intend to accept it."_

_The mother was silent for a moment, then said, "You'd have to leave the city and move in on your own. Your stepfather nor I would be able to go with you."_

"_That's all right. I'm old enough now to have my own place, anyway."_

"_You'd be in a place full of strangers."_

"_And your point is...? Mother, do you just not want me to go?"_

"_In some ways, you're right. But...you've gained your father's intellect and penchant for science, as well as his curiosity."_

"_I noticed you never tell me about my father, other than the fact that he's a prominent scientist. I don't even know his name." The last part the teenager added, hoping that she could gleam a little more information about him._

_The mother smiled wryly and added, "And lately, you have shown that you're more than capable of tending to yourself. I'll explain it to your school's principal."_

"_Thank you, mother. Just you wait, I'll accomplish things that'll make you and even my step-father proud of me," Maskura replied and walked to the computer, activating Audric's comm-code._

0000000000

A few hours later, Alita opened her eyes and looked about her. She had actually been expecting to find herself in her own room, smelling breakfast downstairs and hearing her parents call for her to come down.

Instead, she found herself in the same futuristic room on board a space vessel…in the distant future.

"Just my luck," she muttered, "It's no dream. I really am far from home, in more ways than one."

"You feeling okay?"

Those words came from the voice of a younger girl.

Instinctively, Alita drew her blade and smoothly brought it up in one motion…and paused with the sword at Flora's neck.

"L-Lita, it's just me!" she exclaimed, gulping very slightly.

Alita glared at her and lowered the sword. She sheathed it, as she said, "Weren't you taught how to knock? One second more and you wouldn't have a head on those shoulders."

"S-sorry. Father thought that you'd need another girl to talk to, so he suggested that I move in."

"Father? Wait, who's your dad?"

"Oh…that's Audric."

Alita shook her head, "I don't appreciate him picking roommates without at least telling me about it."

"Well, it was me or Gillian, and I know you don't like him."

She frowned, "In that case, how about I help move your things in? Where're your quarters?"

"A couple doors down. Do, um…do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"Oh, that's good! It'll make things easier, then."

"Let me guess…you live with plants."

Flora blinked. "How'd you know?"

Alita smiled, "Makes sense for a plant girl to live with plants." She then heard her stomach growl. "That's right, last time I had something to eat was when this whole mess began. Just what do you guys have that's edible?"

"I'll show you later." She blinked for a moment before saying, "That's right. I was supposed to take you to the hangar bay when you wake up. You need to introduce yourself to the Lightning League vehicles and learn how to drive them."

The older woman blinked twice, then asked slowly, "Wait a minute…me, introduce myself to machines…and then learn how to drive…?"

"That's right."

"Flora, I've got a learner's permit, not a license."

She blinked. "Um, I don't know what that is, but I don't think you'll need a license. Anyway, we'd better go to the hangar now."

Alita looked about the dresser while she was looking for anything that resembled a hairbrush. "Do hairbrushes look the same here…?"

Flora chuckled and opened the top left drawer then pulled out a blue item that was large and round, flat on one end, and had black bristles on the other, as well as a long handle.

"Hey, thanks," she said as she quickly brushed her hair, even though she began to feel sick every time that she saw that it was now two-toned with the white stripe.

"Okay, I'm ready now. Let's get this over with."

000000000000000

A short time later, Gillian was working on one of the vehicles when he heard a door open, as well as the sound of two sets of footsteps walk in.

"So this is the vehicle base, huh?" Alita asked.

"Yes. I know it's a bit dark here, but you'll get used to the room in a couple of minutes."

"Hmm…yeah…somehow, I _knew_ that. I don't know why, I've never been in here before."

Flora seemed to ignore the comment and called out, "We're here, Gillian."

He straightened and replied, "Well, hello there, ladies. Feeling more rested, I hope?"

"Yeah, thanks," the older female replied, "What's this about introducing myself?"

"Ah, yes. The Lightning League vehicles can be driven…but up until three years ago, they could also be activated remotely by voice commands. When Jayce disappeared, we nearly lost that ability. If it weren't for Audric… Someone we know talked to us for only a few seconds, saying to record your voice for recognition. Once that's done, they will obey your vocal commands."

"M-my voice…? Gillian, Flora mentioned something about this. You should know, I only have a learner's permit, not a license."

"That won't be a problem."

The woman nodded and said, "Okay. Let's do it."

As Gillian began to enter the changes that would record a new voice for commands, she cleared her throat and waited.

"All right…now."

She took a calming breath, then said, feeling very silly, "Hello…Lightning League vehicles. My name is Alita Saaru."

A mechanical voice startled her by saying, _"Voice recorded for recognition. Alita Saaru is now authorized to command all Lightning League vehicles."_

"That went smoothly," Gillian said, "Now, let's get some food into you. You must be hungry. Later today, we'll be arriving at planet Orias. We can see about your attire there."

She nodded, a bit distracted, "Thanks, much appreciated."

_Since this whole mess isn't a dream, then maybe that girl...I'm no math expert, even if I have a bit of a green thumb,_ she thought as she walked out with Gillian. _What kind of name is Maskura anyway?_

000000000000000

On a distant planet, what used to be Audric's lab was bustling with activity. The Monster Minds had gained the advantage when Jayce had fallen into the Vortex…even the fact that they had Audric to contend with as the leader of the Lightning League instead of the young upstart did not disturb their leader much.

"Sawboss!" one of the humanoid-type plants, namely Terror Tank, came into the main throne room, running hard.

"Yes, what is it?"

"There was a major incident on the planet Erida II."

He leaned forward a little as he asked, "What kind of incident?"

"Just as we approached the planet, the troops saw a beam of light, as well as something inside it land on the surface. Within half an hour, we attacked. I stayed off the planet in order to coordinate it."

"Then what happened?"

"Sawboss, every one of our vines _and_ the Monster Minds on Erida II were eradicated!"

"You fool!" he snapped angrily, "For three years we haven't had a setback, and now _this_!"

"B-but…it wasn't any of our doing!"

At this, he grabbed his minion and forcefully examined his mind, wanting to know what had eliminated everyone on the planet.

_A dome of white light began from the forest where the being had descended…and within moments, the light spread to cover the entire planet. The vines, terror troopers, gun troopers, every last one of them was instantly burned away, leaving not even ash…_

If it was possible for him to blanch, Sawboss would have done just that.

"You're no fool," he said, the only thing that would ever come close to an apology from him, "That was the Light of Purity!"

"The Light of Purity?"

"Yes. It's the counter to our Black Light. A very distasteful weapon." He then let go of Terror Tank, then said, tone hardening, "Locate whoever is controlling the Light of Purity and eliminate it…_whoever_ it is!"

"Yes, Sawboss!"

000000000000000

Audric was in his quarters, sitting at a desk and addressing someone on the monitor.

"Now you know," he said.

The person he spoke to, Dea, replied, her tone perpetually quiet and level, _"Yes. You were wise to consult me."_

"Do you have any way of explaining what happened?"

She nodded and said, _"I do. Your suspicion is correct, there is definitely a Dataform involved. From what you've told me, this one is very powerful."_

"Is it malevolent?"

"_Hard to say. I'd have to meet the woman and examine her before I can say further. I can tell you though that whatever the nature is of this one, it is adamant about protecting her."_

"You can't tell? You usually could. After all, you're the top authority on this subject."

She smiled wryly and said, _"Remember my usual advice, Uncle Audric. If there is a Dataform involved—"_

"Throw out the rule book," they completed together, then he continued, "Yes, I know."

"_Observe her until I can get free enough to make a trip to see you. Or, if it's possible, I want you to make a very discreet trip to Aunitia."_

"What about the Monster Minds? After what happened on Kitta III, we've been avoiding it—"

"_On purpose, I know. But don't worry. The barrier stations have had their equipment updated and constantly monitored. The vulnerability has been virtually eliminated. You'll have no trouble."_

Audric nodded, then said, "We have to stop by Orias first, to get the girl some…native clothing. The outfit she wore coming here will make her stick out like a sore thumb."

Dea gave a tiny nod, _"Good idea. After Orias, then. I don't need to tell you that even with this trip, if you receive an SOS or a warning, that takes priority."_

"No need to tell me, _Director_," he replied, emphasizing the title.

There was a small laugh before she said, _"Forgive me, Uncle. It's an old habit from my instructor days."_

Audric laughed and replied, "Understandable."

"_There is one thing that is very definite, and as such, what I have to say carries as much weight as any order of yours."_

"What is it?"

"_That girl is your only chance of finding Jayce…and she's the final chance we have of defeating the Monster Minds. Her safety takes the ultimate priority."_

The older man blanched, and his eyes were grim. Dea was saying that Alita was to be protected over their very lives.

"_Maskura,_" he said quietly.

Dea frowned and replied, _"I'll take that as meaning 'niece', since as I told you, Maskura is dead."_

"That's correct," Audric replied, though his tone was one of apology, "Are you certain that she caused the light?"

"_No, but I do know, from Logos, that the light has happened a few times before, but that's stated only in legends. It's called the Light of Purity. I'll explain more when you get here. If Jayce re-appears or if more odd things happen, inform me immediately."_

"I see," he said, "See you soon."

"_Aunitia out."_

Dea's image disappeared on the monitor.

Audric stared at the blank screen for a long moment before he asked, "She can show the way to Jayce…? But how…?"


	7. Planet Orias

_Chapter 4: Planet Orias_

_Author's Note: The nature of Orias and its capital city, Rakkise, is in tribute to Frank Herbert's **Dune** novels._

After contacting Dea, Audric returned to the bridge. Shortly afterwards, the doors to the bridge opened. Curious, he turned to see who it was that had come, then smiled when he found that it was Flora.

"Ah, Flora. How is our newcomer handling things?"

"She's really mad at Gillian."

"She's got a good reason to be."

"It's almost like she hates him."

"I hope not. If she does, she'd better learn to put that aside for everyone's sake. Anything else?"

"Other than that, she's, well...a bit depressed. She's talking to him now. The introductions are done, and he said something about getting food into her."

"Any idea why the depression?"

"Yes. Father, did you know that when she opened that locket of hers and was transported to us, it was the morning of her 19th birthday?"

He winced at that revelation. "Taken from her world and time, brought here on a day like that, without even a...poor thing."

She nodded. "Can't we do something about that?"

"Not about her predicament. But I think I have an idea as to how to make it a bit better, though."

"How?"

Audric whispered the rest into the teenager's ear. As she listened, her eyes got bigger, and so did her smile.

00000

Alita winced as she waited down a hallway. Nearby, Gillian was talking over an intercom, and from the tone of the old wizard's voice, it was a private conversation.

She had not eaten anything since she had woke up in her original world, and for some reason, she was pretty hungry. When the call had come in, she and Gillian were on their way to the mess hall from the hangar.

As the young woman waited, she grumbled slightly. The entire situation had her in a bit of a bad mood. For some odd reason, she was changing into something else, and that was on top of her coming through time and space, landing on a planet in the distant future...on her birthday, of all things. What worsened her anger was knowing that the one responsible was right in front of her.

_How am I supposed to put that little fact aside when it's staring me in the face?_

After a few more moments, Gillian nodded and turned off the console before returning to the redhead.

"So sorry about that," the wizard said, "Now, how about that meal I promised you?"

"Sounds good. What time of the day is it here anyway?"

"It's headed towards noon, and it's still the same day we found you."

She nodded, then asked, "These Monster Minds..."

"Yes?"

As they walked, Alita asked, "How long have you been dealing with them?"

"For years now, child. As Audric said, his son disappeared three years ago."

"How did that happen, anyway?"

The wizard paused for a moment, then said, "It was a horrible disaster. We had just found Audric, only for him and another comrade to be captured. They were held captive on a planet called Kitta III."

"Whoa, wait a minute. Audric was missing to begin with?"

"It's a very long, complicated story."

She nodded and said, "Maybe I shouldn't ask so much at one time. What happened to Audric's son?"

"He used a mystic power to get the rest of us to safety...then threw himself into a portal that either went to another world...or into a deadly place called the Vortex."

"Why'd he do something like that?"

"My dear girl, a portal of that magnitude can only be closed if someone either is thrown into it or goes through of the person's own accord."

"Oh, I see."

That was when they heard a batch of squeaks and a stammering voice.

"H-H-hey! Get away from me! Aaahhh!"

Alita looked around but couldn't see anything. She shrugged and started to continue onwards.

"Alita!" Gillian called out, but before she could react to it, something smacked into her from behind, causing her to fall on her face.

She heard groans coming from behind her as she tried to get up.

"Ohhh, ouch. That hurt," she said.

"Are you all right?" the wizard asked and held out a hand to her.

"Nothing serious," she replied and got up on her own, "But where'd the mini mack truck come from?"

Gillian looked puzzled. "I don't know what you're talking about, but it was Oon that crashed into you."

Alita dusted herself off as the old man admonished, "And Oon, how many times have I told you to be careful in the corridors? I said numerous times that one day you'd run into someone, and quite literally."

"I-I-I'm sorry, Gillian," she heard and looked around, seeing nothing.

"Look down."

She did and found a suit of armor that was in pieces on the floor. The sight was funny enough to get a laugh out of her. A moment later, she felt a sense of being reproached by someone.

"I'm sorry," she said after a moment, "But it looks so funny..."

Gillian sighed and said, "Help me get him put together, if you please, Alita..."

After a few minutes, the teenager saw that the being that had run into her was, indeed, a living small suit of armor.

"Now that you're in one piece again...Alita, this is Oon. He's what is known as an Eternal Squire. Jayce was his master at one time. Currently, he's Audric's squire."

"Nice to meet you," she replied, then asked, "What were you running from, anyway?"

"T-Those Zoggies! They're after me again!"

"Zoggies?"

Gillian sighed and said, "I'll talk to Flora about that. Oon, I have to tend to something, so could you take Alita to the mess hall?"

As the wizard took off down the corridor, Oon saluted, which looked comical to the redhead, then looked directly at her. When he did, he gasped.

"W-what is it?" she asked, a little uncomfortable by the reaction.

"I-I don't know why, but w-w-when I see you, I see M-m-master Jayce!"

"Well, I'm not him," she replied, "I don't even know who he is, other than Audric's missing son."

Oon said nothing about that and started leading Alita to the mess hall.

"Hey, Oon...?" she asked a few minutes later.

"What is it?"

"Is it just me or was Gillian taking a while getting to the mess hall?"

"W-well...I don't know if he was or not. B-But Master Audric said that something had to be done before we arrive on Orias."

"What kind of planet is Orias anyway?"

"I-I've been there once. It's a desert planet."

Alita groaned and shook her head.

"Desert planet...just great."

_Just like in my nightmare..._

"O-Oh don't worry, you won't be in the city by yourself! M-Master Audric was very clear about that."

"That's good to know," she replied, then thought silently to herself.

Whether or not Oon was going just as slowly or not, it seemed to be only moments later when the two of them arrived at the door to the mess hall.

"Here we are," the living suit of armor beside her said, his voice a little louder than on the walk, "G-Go right in. I'll be behind you."

She nodded and said, "All right..." then took a deep breath before taking a step forward.

As the door opened, she saw that the room was dark.

"Is this room normally shut off when not in use?" she asked as she moved even more slowly.

"W-well..."

After she took another couple of steps, the lights immediately came on.

At one of the tables was Audric, Herc and Flora.

"_Surprise!"_

Alita's mouth opened in very definite surprise. On the table was already some food on trays, including what looked like burgers and a type of potatoes, tea in a pot and, in another pot, something that smelled like coffee.

Flora hurried to Alita and grinned at her.

"Goodness, this is a surprise," the older woman said, "What's the occasion, besides 'welcome aboard'?"

"Your birthday, kid, what else?" Herc replied.

Now _that_ surprised her.

"I—How did you--"

"Flora told me what day it was when your amulet opened," Audric explained.

The younger girl nodded and said, "It's not right to go through a birthday without a good lunch and cake, you know."

"Cake?" she sniffed the air and said, "Now that I smell it..."

"Better take a seat, kid," Herc suggested, "You've got some chow to get into ya."

"Kid? I'll have you know I'm 19--"

"Same age Jayce was, so you're still 'kid' to me." He saw Audric's glare and said, "Yeah, yeah, I know. No more talking about him maybe being dead. Besides, you and Gillian said you talked to him on the last planet, and that's good enough for me."

Two equally strong feelings pierced Alita: shock and pain. She quickly covered it up and nodded, sitting between Audric and Herc.

"Are those what I think they are...?" she asked.

"They're Aunitian Bison Burgers," Herc answered, "and spiced potato strips."

The young woman chuckled, trying not to laugh too much.

_I wonder if they know it's pretty similar to food on Earth?_

"This is really sweet of you..." she said to them. As she did, she felt a little overwhelmed by two emotions that overrode the previous two: sorrow and gratitude.

_Is it my feelings...? Or is it whatever that makes them seem familiar?_ she thought and waited.

"What're you waiting for?" Flora asked.

"Don't tell me you guys don't do Grace," she asked, surprised.

"Grace? Who's that?" Flora asked.

Audric replied, "Many different planets invoke religion before meals. Her world and time, apparently calls it 'doing Grace'." The older woman nodded gratefully.

In another part of the area, Gillian replied loudly, "Alita, it's alright to do that in your mind. There are many gods in this universe."

She nodded and closed her eyes long enough to think, _God...Gods above, may we be truly thankful for what we are about to receive...and watch over not only this stranger in a strange place, but us all..._

Once her eyes opened, she nodded and the group started eating. In between bites, the group asked Alita questions about Earth. Since she came from what was apparently the distant past, she answered them honestly, describing in as much detail as she could. That also included descriptions of Tokyo.

Once everyone was done eating, Alita found that she certainly felt better, more than she had in a way, than when she had been eating Japanese food.

"Hey, Pops, we're ready, so get it in here!" Herc called out.

"Actually, I'll help him," Audric said and quickly excused himself.

"What's he up to?"

Flora chuckled and said, "Remember what I said? A good lunch and--"

The plant-girl was cut off when Audric and Gillian came in from the other part of the mess hall. The former was carrying a round cake with white icing and a pair of candles. Gillian waved a hand at it, and a few seconds later, the two candles lit.

The look on Alita's face right then at that made Audric smile, something he had not done in 3 years.

0000000000

Later that afternoon, the space vessel, _Pride of the Skies II_, arrived at Orias. The vessel landed in the spaceport of the capital city, Rakkise, and within an hour, Audric, Alita and the others walked out of the spaceport. Gillian said that he had a transmission he needed to answer and that he would join the others when he could.

Alita blinked as she looked around her. The city seemed like a combination of extremely high-tech gizmos and the cities in the Arabian fairy tales she had read about in both America and Tokyo. There were electronic boards at different levels. Some of them showed advertisements in a language she didn't understand, while others were more like televisions, reporting news.

"Whew...every time I come here, I forget how hot it is," Herc remarked, wiping at his forehead.

"O-oh great..." Oon groaned as he walked about, "I hate this place."

"How come?" Alita asked.

"I always get sand in my joints!"

She smiled a little and looked around.

"Alright, first things first. Flora, you and Alita come with me," Audric said, "We need to get some clothing."

"Oh! Yes, I almost forgot," Alita replied.

"Ya know, kid, talking like that, you sound stiff and forced. You _can_ relax, ya know."

She didn't reply to him, but asked, "So where is the clothing store?"

"Off this way....and Herc, I hate sounding like Dea sometimes, but don't do something that'll get you arrested, all right?"

"Hey, you know me by now, Audric."

"Yes," the older man agreed, "That's why I said it."

Herc groaned and went off, grumbling under his breath.

"This is gonna be fun, Lita," Flora said with a chuckle, "It's the first time I've gone clothes shopping with anyone!"

"Hey, how in the world did you get new clothes before?"

"Um, well..."

"F-Flora wore only one outfit until recently. She o-o-outgrew it, so M-m-master Audric and Gillian had to improvise..."

"I think I get it."

Oon followed after Audric, Flora and Alita, looking between his master and the red-haired newcomer.

0000000000

Onboard the Pride, the old wizard sat in a chair in his quarters and tapped in some codes. When he reached the transmissions section, his eyebrow raised when he saw the sender's ID. He immediately activated it, and after a moment, he was staring at the face of Aunitia Center's Executive Director.

"Dea! It's been a long time."

"_That it has, Gillian. I spoke with Uncle Audric, so I'm aware of the situation."_

"He moves fast."

"_That he does. I'm calling you because I have a certain type of text you'll find, at least, amusing, and useful at the most."_

"What kind of text?"

Dea's eyes closed for a moment, and when they opened again, she asked, _"After I heard of the situation involving something that may be from ancient times, I received a transmission and a copy of old text from Logos. Do you know of any references to the Light Avatar?"_

His eyebrows rose at that. "Yes...but weren't all copies destroyed?"

"_All hard copies were, yes, when the Monster Minds took over the planets that possessed them. However, Logos had it stored in his databanks. What I'm sending you now is a tiny part that he sent to me. I'll recite now, because I want your opinion on it."_

"Are you sure that's wise? My end of the channel is secured, but--"

"_It's all right. Now, listen..."_ Dea said and began to speak.

_The Light is eclipsed, overwhelmed by the Black Wave. The creatures of the darkness roar shouts of victory as the little ones battle on. In the depths of black oblivion, the seed shows itself as a sphere._

_Two destined selflessly and without hesitation become one when time becomes risky and desperate. The Light of Purity comes to eliminate the evil gathered. The Light Avatar, taking the form of an innocent, reveals the awakened soul._

_Aruleia returns, bringing the War of the Light._

_Millennial Wizard, declare thyself! Herald the arrival to all of the Children!_

Gillian was silent for a long moment.

"_Are you all right?"_ Dea asked.

"I...I'm quite shocked. This is one text I wasn't aware existed."

She nodded and replied, _"Neither did I until Logos sent it. As soon as you can, tell the others."_ She paused and added, _"I don't think I need to tell you who Aruleia is."_

"Indeed you do not."

"_All right, then. After your business on Orias, Uncle Audric has his next destination. I'm very interested in meeting your newest member of the Lightning League."_

"Dea--"

"_That is all,"_ she cut in, _"Aunitia out."_

Gillian sighed and sat back in his chair after the screen shut off.

"Just what have we gotten ourselves into?" he said to himself, "More: just what have I started...?"

A moment later, the monitor came back to life and showed a single message. Just like earlier, it was from Jal.

The old wizard read the message twice and turned pale.

"Oh no..."

He shot up from his seat and ran out of his quarters without shutting the screen off. A single message blinked on and off.

_Orias is under target._

0000000000

Audric sat in a chair next to one of the dressing rooms, with Oon pacing around next to him. In one of the rooms were Flora and Alita. When the small group had started clothes-shopping for the woman, the younger girl had insisted on getting a new outfit for herself as well.

_Whether she just got into the spirit of the things or meant to do it all along, though, I don't know._

"Mhmph!" he heard from inside.

"What's wrong, Lita?"

"How the he—blazes do you get this armlet off? It's supposed to go _over_ the clothes!"

"Hmm...let me see...I never got a good look when Jayce had it on, so...hmm..."

Audric chuckled and said, "Stick your arm out, Alita."

A moment later, the arm with the communications armlet shot out of the curtained room.

"Remind me to teach you two...how to equip and remove it," he said as he touched a couple of hidden latches, removing the item easily.

As the arm withdrew, he said, "Just let me know and I'll put it back on."

"Sounds good to me," Alita's muffled voice agreed, "Hey Flora, I'll help you change after I do, ok?"

"Okay!"

"I w-w-w-onder what Flora picked out?" Oon asked.

"Don't tell me out want a new outfit too, Oon, because the answer's no."

"N-no way, M-m-master Audric. I like my suit of armor j-j-just fine."

A few minutes later, Alita spoke up again and shot out an arm again. With a raised eyebrow, Audric put the armlet back on.

"Thanks," both girls said.

"You're welcome."

A moment later, Flora said, "Do people where you come from...have swords like this all the time?"

"Not as many as you think. Ok, now for you. Hey Flora..."

"Yes?"

"If Audric approves of this outfit of yours, what're you going to do with the old one?"

"Keep it, of course."

"Of course," she replied, bemused.

"Lita, can you help me with this?"

A few moments later, Alita called out, "Audric, we're ready."

The man stood up and waited, while Oon came to attention beside him.

Flora giggled and asked, "Which one of us first?"

"You first, little one."

Flora pulled the curtain aside only enough for her to get by.

The little girl had chosen an azure-blue dress with a slightly raised collar, sleeves that stopped at the elbows, flaring very slightly at the shoulders. The skirt part of the dress went down to just above the knees. Around her waist was a green belt and her rabbit's-feet. The socks were green as well, and she had changed her normal shoes for a pair that were wood brown.

"W-w-whoa, Flora, you look p-p-pretty nice!"

"That you do," Audric agreed, "But will it work for battle?"

"Yeah, Lita checked it out herself. I'm getting another one just like this, but it's white and golden colored."

Audric and Oon glanced at each other and said at the same time, "Girls...!"

"I heard that, Audric," Alita called out, "Now, my turn."

The curtain was drawn back the rest of the way. When they saw, the scientist's eyes widened.

Oon stammered, "W-w-wow..."

Alita wore a short, _midori_ green dress, with long, form-fitting sleeves that went down to just above her wrists. On her right arm, over the sleeve, was the armlet. There was a wood-brown tabard across the bust. She had also picked a pair of tights that were a darker green and a pair of wood-brown boots that went up to her knees. Around her waist was her belt and sword in its scabbard.

_She looks like...there's no way she would have known,_ Audric thought to himself.

Flora giggled and said, "They're speechless!"

Oon nodded to himself more than once. After a firm nod, he looked up and said, "O-Of course he is...M-m-mistress Lita!"

That threw everyone off guard. Flora and Audric repeated, surprised, "_Mistress_ Lita?!"

"Hey, wait a minute," Alita replied, "Are you kidding me? Isn't your master Audric?"

"Y-Yeah, b-but...I've been a Squire to t-t-two masters at one time...Jayce and Audric. N-now I've got _three_! M-m-Master Jayce, Master Audric...and M-mistress Lita!"

Alita groaned as she thought, _Is that suit of armor out of his mind? Me, a master to an Eternal Squire? That's ridiculous!_

Audric quickly said, "We'll discuss this on the Barge..._not_ in public. Let's get these outfits paid for and get going."

With that, the leader turned to the clerk and talked with her for a few minutes, while Flora looked at Alita and shook her head, genuinely puzzled.

_Great...just great..._

As Audric paid for the clothing, the door opened again and another familiar face stumbled in, trying very hard to breathe.

"Gillian!" the man hurried over to the wizard.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Alita asked, "You're as pale as a ghost."

"T-trouble...they're...coming..."

"Who's coming?" Audric asked.

Before anything else could be said, Flora clapped a hand over her mouth and doubled over, turning green.

Alita bent down and asked, "Hey, you ok?"

"M-Monster minds...! Monster minds are coming!"

That surprised the teenager. She frowned and said, "I don't feel anything."

"Ugh, I do...feel really sick..."

Gillian got enough breath into him to stand up and check Flora.

"I'd say that...somehow...Alita's sensitivity...transferred to Flora. It's doubled her range and strength of detecting--"

"Hey, is this the time to be diagnosing that?" Alita snapped at him.

"Alita's right," Audric agreed, "We've got a planet to protect."

Gillian nodded and chanted something, waving a hand at the younger girl. After a moment, the green tint vanished from her face and she carefully stood up.

"Thanks...it's easier to handle now."

"Flora, what direction are they headed?"

After a moment, she replied, "They're going in two directions, Lita. One's coming this way."

The two men motioned for the others to get outside. Alita glanced at Flora, then made sure that the young lady could get outdoor on her own.

"We'll need Armed Force, Drill Sergeant and Quick Draw," Audric said once everyone was outside, "Call for them on the communicator, Alita."

_Are they serious?_ She thought, _I don't know how to--_

_**Just speak into it**_, a voice spoke in her mind, the same voice that had instructed her on Erida, _**it's voice-activated.**_

_What, do I just say to get over here?_

_**Yes.**_

_Fine,_ she thought, lifted her arm, then said out loud, "Armed Force, Drill Sergeant and Quick Draw, get over to our location on the double!"

That caused three electronic voices to say the same thing: _"Command acknowledged!"_

Audric nodded approvingly, then said, "I wish I had time to teach you how to use them first, but you'll have to learn as we fight."

"That's fine," she replied, "I'm a fast learner."

"Good. Flora, Gillian, you two take Drill Sergeant. Alita, take Oon and go into Armed Force. I'll take Quick Draw."

"This is going to be interesting," Gillian remarked, "Our first real battle in 3 years."

"Yes. I'm not about to let Sawboss take another planet, especially Orias!" Audric replied firmly.

A couple of minutes later, the three vehicles arrived. Gillian and Flora boarded Drill Sergeant and Audric got on Quick Draw while Alita and Oon scrambled inside Armed Force.

_Now I'm worried,_ Alita thought as she looked at the controls,_ I can drive some, but vehicles like this...?_

_**You won't be alone. I'll help you**__._

_Who...just where are you?_

The answer surprised her.

_I'm the being that you call your guardian...I'm inside your amulet._


	8. Battle for Orias

_Chapter 7: Battle for Orias_

_**You're** my guardian? _Alita thought, very surprised, _How come you never spoke to me before this morning?_

_**I've been...sleeping. Ever since the amulet opened, I've been mostly awake.** **Please, don't ask me more than that right now; we've got a battle to win.**_

"_Alita, what's wrong?"_ Gillian asked.

"Where's the intercom button...?" she muttered as she looked about. Near a speaker, she found it and hit the button.

"I'm fine," she replied, "Just getting acquainted with this."

"_Alita, I heard from Gillian that you have some driving experience,"_ Audric cut in.

"Yes. I was about a month away from getting my license."

"_So I won't need to worry about you needing the autopilot. Listen, there are a few auto-tactical programs. Use them only if you need to."_

"Understood."

"_All right, let's see about kicking the Monster Minds out of here. Lightning Strikes!"_

_**Alita,** the voice said, **You're going to need help to survive this. If I tell you to do something, do it.**_

_I hope that doesn't include invoking._

_**It might.**_

That made Alita go pale and her breath caught.

_No! I won't do that!_

_**Honestly, I hope you won't need to, but you might.**_

_Are you really my guardian?_

_**Have I ever led you wrong before?**_

She paused for a moment before grudgingly admitting, _No. All right, I'll do what you say, but forget it on invoking._ _Where's the ignition--_

_**Beside the wheel, just like with cars in Japan...just no keys.**_

The teenager nodded and hit the switch, then started off after the others.

A couple of minutes later, Audric asked, _"How're you handling it, Alita?"_

"It's easier than I thought," she replied honestly, "Almost like a combination between vehicles back in Tokyo and bumper cars."

There was a laugh on the other end of the intercom at that.

Before she could ask what was so funny, she heard a loud set of beeps.

"_They're in range. Alita, are you ready?"_

"Yes." She added to the voice, _I'm counting on you, too._

In front of them were several monstrous vehicles that she had never seen before.

_You've got to be kidding me!_

A few of the vehicles were purplish-grey, with orange triangle eyes and striped marks. Instead of front bumpers, she saw rows of, sharp, jagged teeth. To make it worse, on top were green stalks with large, saw blades that spun in place, and on the sides were two 3-barrel side guns near the head.

Intermixed with them was something that looked like a white, orange and yellow tank mixed with a Venus Fly-Trap, but worse. Instead of a front bumper, these had rows of closed fangs...fangs that looked like they could open at any moment and swallow any enemies alive. The stalks that had given her the Fly trap image had equally sharp-looking teeth and a huge gun just underneath. A few others she could see right off the bat included small blue-purple pickup trucks that had permanent, nasty grins on their bumpers, two guns on either side and a steel wrecking ball attached to stalks on their top.

Just seeing such menacing vehicles sent a shiver down Alita's spine and made her breath catch again.

"S-s-scary, a-aren't they?" Oon asked.

"Talk about an understatement," she replied, then spoke into the intercom. "What're those machines?"

Gillian spoke,_**"Those **__are Monster Minds. The vines you saw on Erida do 2 things: drain all the water and nutrients from planets and spawn these creatures."_

"Oh, really?"

"_Yes. Don't underestimate them,"_ Audric cautioned.

"Got it."

"H-h-here they come, Mistress!"

Indeed, one of the vehicles, the grinning trucks, charged ahead, getting ready to swing the wrecking ball at Armed Force.

_**Move right!**_

Alita turned the wheel enough to get her vehicle to move to the right. The truck missed her by inches.

"Yow! Talk about close...!"

_Guardian, any chance on shooting out the tires?_

_**Not at this range. Use the targeting system, on your immediate right, and pick one.**_

"R-Right," she said in a low voice and used the controls to pick out the vehicle that had gone after her.

_Like that?_

_**Hit the button just below the system.**_

Alita did as she was told. When she hit the button, a ray shot out from one of the guns. The target, which was in the process of turning around for another pass, was hit squarely in the side.

She whistled as the beam's light vanished, revealing that the truck had turned into stone. One of the tanks swerved into it, causing the petrified vehicle to crumble.

_**Good, but don't get too amazed. Pick another target.**_

_Where are the other weapons controls?_

_**I'll tell you as you need them.**_

Alita saw that one of the vehicles, another Flytrap tank, was charging at Quick Draw from behind and quickly targeted it.

_**Flip open the left side of the steering wheel handle and press the button!**_

She silently flipped the side and hit the described button. The second side gun shot out a different kind of ray. This one was a blue beam that hit the flytrap tank in the back, instantly turning it into a mass of crystals. Quick Draw turned around and opened fire on the mass, shattering it.

"_Thanks, Alita. Be careful with the freeze beam and petrification ray," _Audric cautioned, _"They don't discriminate between us and Monster Minds."_

"Will do," she replied.

In front of her were a pair of dark brown vehicles, with triangular yellow eyes and red and yellow stripes on what would be a forehead on a human. They seemed to have permanent grins, just like the trucks, but she had never seen a truck that had a tri-gun in its teeth before. On the top and attached to stalks were things that looked something like bolo whips, but with 5 spiked balls at the tip.

One of these vehicles started swinging the whip right at her.

_**Swerve left!**_

She jerked the wheel sharply and heard the tires screeching, a sound that had a tendency to make her stomach clench. The whip grazed the vehicle on the side, leaving some marks.

"O-Owww!" Oon yelped.

_Ugh...whoever came up with the name Monster Minds had the right idea. Scary and deadly monsters with minds!_

Quick Draw turned and fired a kind of weapon that she had never seen before, something that looked like circular beams that encircled the pair. The two machines swerved into each other, crashing loudly.

"Thanks a lot, Audric," she said with a tone of relief.

"_As I said before, don't underestimate them."_

"Yes, no kidding," she replied then addressed the voice, _That arm on this machine...any specific use?_

The voice replied, bemused, **_Many. Use your imagination. See the lever?_**

_Yes, I sure do, right beside me._

_**The buttons are above it, on the console. Take it from there.**_

As Drill Sergeant went head on towards a trio of the bolo-whip machines then drilled into the ground, Alita saw another of the trucks that had the wrecking balls revved it back to hit her.

_Not this time_, she thought as she used the lever and buttons to make the arm grab the steel ball and stalk.

"Hope you like boomerangs," she said, using the lever to move the arm backwards, swivel a few times, then as she swung it forward, she let go of the mace. The vehicle went flying and smacked right into a pair of tanks, turning them on their backs.

_**Nice! I'm more for bowling, but I could get used to this!**_

Drill Sergeant drilled out from the ground a short distance away. The trio it had tunned under dropped into the hole that had been created.

"Not bad, Gillian," she said on the intercom system.

"_Same to you. You're learning quickly, my girl."_

"You got any names for these freaky machines?"

"_Certainly. Which ones?"_

"How aboutthe tanks crossed with the Venus Flytraps?"

"_Those are Terror Tanks,"_ the wizard explained.

"How about the ones with 5-ball whips?"

"_Grin Gunners."_

"Wrecking balls on stalks?"

"_K.O. Cruisers."_

"Saw blades?"

"_Saw Troopers."_

Alita nodded, "Ok, thanks."

One of the K.O. Cruisers rounded on Drill Sergeant and swiped at it from behind. The mace connected, hitting the vehicle enough to send it swerving into a building. Over the intercom, she heard a girl shriek.

_Oh no, Flora!_

Her eyes lit up with anger at this. _You're gonna pay for that, my way! _The swordswoman'stone became steelyas she said, "Armed Force, go on autopilot and open the canopy."

"_Command Acknowledged!"_

As the canopy opened, she saw the Cruiser turn about to attack the crashed vehicle again.

Audric called out, _"Alita, what are you doing?"_

She quickly unbuckled the seat belt and stoop up on the edge of the open cockpit. She drew her sword and bent her knees, then jumped.

Inside the downed vehicle, Flora started to shout to Alita, but Gillian, frowning, motioned for her not to.

Alita adjusted the angle on her sword, having already a good idea as to where she would land. A moment later, the sword flashed as she landed on the top of the K.O. Cruiser.

The monster vehicle started making a loud-pitched noise that sounded somewhat like a scream as the woman hopped off it and onto the ground.

Upon landing, she had cut off the stalk close to the base.

The K.O. Cruiser continued the noise as it began to change shape.

"Hey, do these vehicles change shape?" she asked.

"_Most don't,"_ Audric replied, _"That one is--Alita, be careful!"_

The wounded vehicle finished changing shape. Alita started at what was, basically, a frightening, twisted plant that looked partially human, with one hand, and the other arm ending at the elbow. The amputated appendage twitched on the ground as it burned away.

_First creepy vehicles and now a creepier plant-thing? What did I get into?_

"You actually cut my arm off," the being hissed in a tone that seemed, to Alita, shocked, angry...and very stupid, "You'll pay for that!"

The enemy growled and punched right at the girl. She saw the move and ran enough to the right that the blow barely missed her.

_This thing almost reminds me of a couple of dishonorable kids back home...brawny, like bulls...and no brains._

"What're _you_ supposed to be, anyway?" she snapped at him.

"I don't know who you are," he snarled, "But I know what you're not gonna be: alive!"

"You want me? Come and get me," she jeered with a bravado she definitely didn't feel, "If you've got the brains for it!"

Gillian watched the battle and saw that one of the Terror Tanks was trying to position itself behind her for a sneak attack.

"Carutahr," he spoke quietly and pointed at the enemy vehicle. From his finger shot bolts of electricity that struck it, paralyzing the Terror Tank.

Meanwhile, Alita dodged a charge from the Monster Mind and slashed at the creature as she passed by. The blow connected just below the knee, enough to cause burning pain to shoot up the leg.

"You can't keep this up, girl," he snarled, "You'll lose soon enough...!"

_He's right,_ Audric thought, _It has more endurance than she does. She's going to need luck **and** help!_

On the ground, the sword-bearing woman was coming to the same conclusion.

_Guardian...please, lend me your strength...!_ Alita thought and closed her eyes for a moment, focusing herself.

Inside Quick Draw, Audric brought his guns to bear on the humanoid plant. As he did, the Ring of Light on his finger began to twinkle, then shine as it activated on its own.

_What is the ring doing?_ He thought as he raised his hand.

At the same time, Alita's sword did more than flash; the blade changed to a pure, white color.

The plant-being roared, "Die, sword-girl!" and tried to grab her.

Her eyes snapped open.

"I don't think so," she said in a low voice and hopped out of the way.

At the same time, Audric fired a beam at it, causing the Monster Mind to stumble forward.

The red-haired girl positioned her sword and jumped diagonally towards one of the downed enemy vehicles a short distance away. As soon as the injured Monster Mind was close to the ground, Alita quickly adjusted her sword so that it was horizontal and jumped again, aiming for the shoulders.

When she landed, she heard a short scream as she slid down to the ground, then nothing.

The remaining three Monster Mind vehicles crashed into each other, thanks to a shot of Magnetizer Ray from the still Drill Sergeant.

Quick Draw's cockpit opened and Audric came out, a rather indescribable expression on his face. Gillian and Flora did the same, though the young girl looked a little wobbly.

Alita looked back at the others, then at the large being.

The plant-being lay on the ground in two parts, twitching and slowly burning away, just as its hand had done. A short distance from the body was the head.

_Did I just...did I just kill that thing?_ She thought as she breathed deeply, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

"Lita," Flora asked, speaking as though she couldn't believe her eyes, "What have you done...?"

The woman took out a cloth and cleaned her sword. As she did, the color reverted from white to the normal shiny steel and the ring on Audric's hand went dormant.

"Do you--" Audric started to ask as she sheathed her weapon. He paused, shook his head, and was about to speak again when a transmission on all communicators cut him off.

"_Hey, Audric! I'm in the east side of the city! I dunno what happened, but the K.O. Cruisers have gone gonzo, and some others are headed over. I could use some help here!"_

Flora gasped and held her head in her hands, wincing in pain.

"Ugh...more Monster Minds are coming this way."

Audric muttered something under his breath.

"I'll go," Alita said, "I'll help Herc."

The scientist nodded gratefully and said, "I'm counting on you. Be careful."

She got right back into Armed Force and started off. Behind her, the others got back into their vehicles and prepared to take on the next wave.

"_Herc, Alita's on her way," _she heard on the intercom.

"_You've gotta be kiddin' me! Sending the newbie when I'm in trouble?"_

"_We're tied up otherwise. Hold on until she gets there."_

Once she was some distance away, Alita heard the voice again.

_**When I tell you to, invoke.**_

That made her blood freeze.

_No! I told you, I won't do that! Not again..._

_**Herc is going to need all the help he can get.**_

_The last time I did that, my body changed. If I do it again, who knows what'll happen to me!_

_**Alita, calm down.**_

_How in the world can I be calm? Something's been taking me over since the first invoking. How do I know that this time I won't lose my--_

_**Is that what's scaring you...?**_

_Of course it is! How do I know that you're really my guardian? For all I know, you're one of those Mons--_

_**Saaru Alita!**_

The voice was certainly sharp and raised, enough to startle her into silence.

_**Listen to me, **_the voice, returning to the calmer tone, said,**_ I don't think you're in any danger of further altering or being taken over, if that's what you're so afraid of. You can always get one of the others to check you over later._**

Alita ran a hand through her hair and asked, hesitant, _Do you know that for certain?_

_**No, I don't. But I do know that if you don't do this, there's a good chance that Herc will die here!**_

She took some breaths and asked, _I don't have a choice, do I...?_

_**No, you don't.**_

She sighed and said out loud, "All right."

"Mistress Lita?" Oon asked.

_What about the Squire?_

_**Try to do it quietly.**_

A few minutes later, she heard the voice again.

_**All right. Now, set this to autopilot again.**_

"Armed Force, autopilot! Remain on course!"

"_Command Acknowledged!"_

_**Later, go along with whatever Herc says about this.**_

_All right. If you say so._

_**Invoke!**_

Alita took a breath and said in a quiet voice, "Dataform...Jayce!"

_You had better be right about this..._

_I told those guys I need help here,_ _and they send the newbie that hasn't even been trained in these vehicles? What's the universe comin' to?_

Herc growled as he fired his laser pistol at the tires of one of the K.O. Cruisers that had, as he put it in the transmission, gone nuts. The tires made a popping noise before crashing into the wall of a now-ruined tavern.

_Whatever's going on, that girl had better hurry, or I'll be a beef roast!_

One of the Gun Grinners roared in and began to fire shots at the mercenary. He managed to roll out of the way, but the last shot hit one of the communication panels and exploded.

Herc winced as he felt pain shoot up his leg and looked down for a moment, and saw blood on the floor, coming from his leg.

_Just great..._ he thought and raised his weapon, preparing to fire at the Gun Grinner's tires.

_I'm not going down quietly, Moss-Heads--_

That was when a blast struck the Grin Gunner, disintegrating it on contact. Two more blasts were fired, destroying a Terror Tank and one of the K.O. Cruisers. Outside, Armed Force attacked another of the Gun Grinners as it passed by. The other Monster Mind vehicles, including the target, chased after it.

_What in blazes?_

"That was close," a very familiar voice spoke, coming into the tavern's ruins.

Herc's eyes widened when he saw who the rescuer was.

"Jayce!" he called as he tried to stand up.

_Is it just me or does he look the same as he did 3 years back?_

The young man hurried over to the mercenary and caught him before he could fall back down.

As Herc sat back down, he took the opportunity to take the kid in a bear-hug for a moment.

Jayce chuckled and said, "I missed you, too."

As Herc let go, he asked,"Where in nine hells have you been, Kid? We've been looking for you!"

"I know, Father told me on Erida." The boy moved over and started checking the injured leg.

"So, Audric really _did_ talk to you."

Jayce's voice was a bit irritated as he examined the shin and said, "Herc, I may have been gone for a long time, but that doesn't make me dead."

"Hey, what makes you think I said--"

"Alita told me," he replied, "She's driving Armed Force, diverting the Monster Minds from here."

"Hmph, sounds like the newcomer's good for something. Yeah, I did say somethin' like that, but look at it from my angle."

"What do you mean?" Jayce asked, then winced. He added, "Sorry about this..." before ripping one of Herc's pant legs apart and into strips. "You've got shrapnel in your ankle and shin. I'll stop the bleeding for now, but Gillian's going to have to tend to this."

"We've heard nothin' in the whole time since you vanished. Heck, even when we were all looking for your old man, at least he left clues lying around. Meanwhile, three years have passed and--"

He gasped and looked right at Herc, shocked. His hands stopped moving. "Th-Three years!"

"That's right, kid, three years. Somebody had to play Devil's Advocate amongst you space gypsies and make the case that maybe you didn't survive the Vortex."

"I-I almost didn't," he replied, then continued in a voice low with shock and pain. "Three years..."

"Ow!"

"Sorry, Herc," was the reply before he resumed what he was doing.

"Hey, what's with the K.O. Cruisers?"

Jayce didn't answer. Once he finished work on the injured leg, he stared off for a moment.

"Oh no...I've got to go."

"Kid, wait! We finally found you, so come back with me to your old man--"

Jayce's eyes were sad as he said, "Herc, I can't..."

"Why not?"

"I can't explain it, not now."

"Kid!"

"Believe me, I want to rejoin the others, but right now, it's impossible."

"You can't be serious."

Jayce bowed his head and said in a low, torn voice, "Herc, don't make this harder than it already is." He closed his eyes and a pair of tears fell down his face.

The mercenary brushed the tears away and sighed.

_Can't stand seeing the Kid like this. It's gotta be serious if he's this upset._

Reluctantly, Herc asked, "You are gonna come back someday, aren't you?"

The younger man's voice gradually returned to normal as he looked up and replied with a tiny smile, "...Of course I will, so you and the Lightning League had better be still alive when I do." He stood up and said, "Now I _do_ have to go. Take care, Herc."

The ex-Commando nodded and gave a thumbs-up as Jayce hurried off.

"Sawboss! Lord Sawboss!"

The voice came from the Gun Grinner troop leader, who had run into the throne room.

"What is it? I thought you were overseeing the takeover of Orias!"

"I bring bad news from there. The Lightning League has turned back our troops."

A fist slammed down.

"What! They've stopped the invasion?!"

"Yes, sir."

There was a growl before he said, "First the disaster at Erida, now this!"

"There's more. The K.O. Cruiser Troop Leader has been eliminated."

"Did you say _eliminated_?"

"Yes, sir."

"Was it Audric?"

"No. It was a girl, bearing a sword. She looks like this..." The troop leader transmitted an image of Alita.

"Hmm...very well." He focused his mind and ordered, "All troops, pull out of Orias! Gun Grinner, retrieve any surviving K.O. Cruisers."

"Right away, sir!"

As the troop leader left, Sawboss growled, "The Lightning League has won...but their luck will run out again! That sword-bearer girl is going to pay a heavy price for what she's done!"

0000000000

Herc stared off, seeing what direction that Jayce had left just seconds ago when Drill Sergeant and Quick Draw pulled up to the ruined tavern. As soon as they were parked, Audric, Gillian and Flora jumped out and ran to him.

"Herc! You're hurt!" Flora exclaimed.

"Comes with the territory, Flower-Face. It would've been worse if it hadn't been for both of those kids--"

"Both kids? What're you talking about?" Gillian asked as he bent down to examine the leg.

"That girl, Alita, drew away those Moss-Heads. Audric...sorry about what I said before."

Audric's eyebrow raised as he asked, "What do you mean?"

Herc looked right at him and said, "Jayce was here too. He's the one that blew away the remaining Monster Minds and--"

"We need to get you to the Barge quickly," Gillian said, "There's shr--"

"Shrapnel in the ankle and shin," Herc cut in, "yeah, he told me. Anyway, he said he couldn't rejoin us yet, then took off in a hurry."

He looked down at his hand. It was still wet with Jayce's tears.

_That's all the proof I need that I didn't imagine this,_ he thought, _the Kid's still alive and he's fighting._

Behind them, Alita came in, blinking and shaking her head.

"Hey, Alita," Herc greeted, "You ok?"

"Y-Yeah, how come?"

"Just makin' sure. You did pretty good out there for your first battle, kid."

"Honestly? I was pretty nervous."

"Nervous or not, it took a lotta guts to draw away all those Monster Minds."

She blinked, slightly puzzled, then said, "W-well, I had to do something, you were in some big trouble!" The girl turned to Gillian and said, "Oon's unconscious."

"Fainted, no doubt," the wizard replied.

"Not only have we won our first battle in 3 years, but Orias is safe," Audric said, "The Monster Minds will not take this lying down...not with what you've done, Alita."

"You never did tell me what you mean by that," she replied, "So what is it?"

"Hey, that reminds me," Herc cut in, "The K.O. Cruisers went berserk just before I called you. What gives with that?"

Audric looked between Gillian and the teenager, then said to the mercenary, "Alita killed the troop leader in battle."

"She did _what_?"

"That thing was the troop leader?" Alita asked.

Gillian and Audric helped Herc up and guided him out of the ruins.

"Gallopin' Galaxies...things are about to get both lively _and_ ugly..." the mercenary muttered.


	9. Beginning to Learn

_Chapter 8: Beginning to Learn_

Alita sighed, pacing back and forth on the bridge. After the Lightning League had returned to the Barge, Gillian and Audric had taken Herc immediately into the medical room in order to tend to the injuries. The teenagers had tried to go in with the three to help out, only for Gillian to refuse.

"Wait for us on the bridge," the wizard had said, "I'll let you know if I need help."

Almost 2 hours had passed since then and the young woman was becoming a bit impatient.

"Lita?" Flora asked.

Alita paused in her pacing and asked, "What is it?"

"Are you worried about Herc?"

"Of course I am," she replied immediately, "Shrapnel's nothing to sneeze at."

"What does Herc's injuries have to do with sneezing?"

Alita shook her head and said, "It's just slang...in this case it means that it's more than just a scratch."

"Oh. Gillian's handled injuries for the Lightning League ever since the beginning."

"I'll bet...with powers like those, I guess he'd take the time to learn how to be a medic."

Flora nodded.

"Hey..."

"Yeah?"

"Have I...have I changed again?"

"What do you mean, Lita?"

"You remember how I originally looked like, right?"

"Yeah, and then at Erida, your looks changed."

"Can you see if I changed again?"

"Sure."

Alita smiled gratefully and went over to the younger girl before bending down just a little.

Flora looked at the woman carefully, keeping an image in her mind of what Alita looked like after Erida II.

_I hope nothing happened this time--! I'm not sure how I'll handle it if--_

"Uh-uh."

"Flora?"

"I don't see anything different about you this time. You look just like you did earlier."

Alita let out a breath of relief at this and ruffled the younger one's hair.

"Thanks, little one."

She hmphed and said, "Don't call me 'little one'! I keep telling everyone, I'm not a child anymore."

"Sorry." _I know how she feels, especially when I was her age._

She got up again and looked about the bridge. After a moment, the older woman walked towards the viewscreen.

"No sign of those three...wonder if I should--"

"Should what?"

She turned to see Audric coming in, the doors closing behind him.

"How is Herc?"

"All the shrapnel's removed. He'll be fine."

Flora let out a "whew" while Alita replied, "Thank goodness for that. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

"Thanks to you and Jayce, he didn't get hurt worse," Flora said.

"Speaking of Jayce...Herc says that he talked to you. Does that mean you saw--"

Alita shook her head. "No, I didn't. I just heard a voice inside Armed Force and talked to _that_, that's all."

"Oh...I see."

_That's not a lie at all, I did hear a voice...but the one I spoke to was just the guardian. If I'm not going mad already, that is._

"So, where's the next stop after this?"

Audric studied Alita for a moment then replied, "We'll gradually be heading towards one of the Safe Havens."

"Safe Havens?"

"Yes. After my son disappeared, it became public knowledge that some of the inhabited planets were, to put it simply, Monster Mind-proof. Some come by it naturally, while others use technological means. The Lightning League helped make some of the planets that way. They all came to be called Safe Havens."

Flora nodded, "Yeah, I've been to some of them." She continued as she checked them off on her fingers, "Baz, Tessago IV, Treetum, Pakstar, Aunitia..."

"Hey, wait a minute," Alita cut in, encouraged by the strange sense of apprehension, fear and a type of determination, "You're not thinking of leaving me on one of those Safe Havens, are you?"

"Of course not," Audric replied, "But someone on one of them is very interested in meeting you."

The senses were replaced by ones of relief as she replied, "Good. The moment I killed that Troop Leader, I got fully involved in this cause of yours."

"That's one way of looking at it," he agreed.

"So, where are we going?" Flora asked as the doors opened behind them.

"Aunitia."

"Aunitia? Are you cr—kidding?" Herc objected, "We've been avoidin' that planet on purpose for the past 3 years!"

"Yes, I know. Dea assures me that the problems from last time have been taken care of."

"I sure hope so, Audric. I don't want a repeat of Kitta III!"

"We won't be in a hurry to get there, though. Any SOSs or necessary stops will still be done. That includes our next stop, Maelin Prime."

"Maelin Prime? What's that for?"

"Training for all of us, especially you, Alita. You need to learn how to handle each of 8 vehicles, so that you're more efficient in battle."

"All right," she replied, then yawned.

Herc looked at the teenager and said, "You look you've been through the wringer."

"That she does. Alita, it'll be a day or so before we get to Maelin. How about you go to your quarters and get some sleep?" Audric asked.

"That actually sounds good about now," she replied gratefully.

"Lita, we can wait on moving my stuff in until tomorrow," Flora replied.

"Ok...but don't make the mistake you made earlier, all right?"

"Oh, I learned from that."

"Are you going to need a guide?" Audric asked, concerned.

"Yeah...I'm tired enough that I'll probably get lost."

"I'll lead you back," Flora offered, "I need to get something from my room anyway."

"_Arigato go--_" she started to say, then corrected herself when she saw puzzled expressions, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

_Maskura sighed as she looked out the window. Just a few days ago, she had contacted Audric and accepted his invitation to work on the special botany project. The hard part had been, of course, telling her friends why she was graduating early. A few of her female friends were envious. A couple of her male classmates went silent and never spoke to her again. Two of her teachers went into a lecture on the importance of education and another made a lesson of the news by teaching about the planet that she would be moving to._

_Her stepfather, on the other hand, simply dismissed the news out-of-hand, as though it was women's gossip._

_**That's so typical**, she had thought, **Either he acts like I'm not there...or acts like I'm something to be disappointed in. Well...that won't matter anymore.**_

_On the day that she left her home planet, only her mother, a couple of friends and her botany teacher had come to the spaceport to see her off._

_She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts of her birth planet and looked through the window again._

_The girl in the reflection couldn't be seen clearly as the ship descended towards the spaceport of Argos V, but her blue eyes and white stripe in her hair could be seen distinctly._

_**I'd be lying if I didn't say that I wasn't nervous,** she thought, **I'll be living by myself for the first time, I'm the youngest on the team, this project is extremely important...of course I'm nervous!**_

_She peered through the window and quickly calculated how long it would take to dock at the 'port and how long after that it would take her to enter the spaceport, go through Customs..._

_**So this is Argos V...my home for a long time, if things go well.**_

_She quickly went to her quarters and grabbed the belongings that she had brought with her. He had a few changes of clothing, her computer discs that contained a number of her equations, some toiletries...the usual stuff._

_**Thank goodness I left the other stuff behind. It would have been a pain to pack more things as it is.**_

_When she returned to the corridor, Maskura noticed that it was early evening, close to night. She wasn't sure how to feel about that, for many reasons._

_The rest of the descent seemed to pass by as though it were nothing but a dream, or as though it happened to someone else. She lined up, along with the other passengers, not saying anything to anyone. After all, if she was going to be friends with any of these people, then the opportunities would present themselves. However, the probability was very much against such a chance._

_Once she exited the spaceship, she patiently waited in line for her turn with Customs._

_**Somehow, the few times I traveled never had things to contend with, like Customs or searches. Or maybe it's my memory playing tricks on me?**_

_Once it came to her turn, she pulled out a card that she had been told to give to the officials. Once he took it, he put it into a machine. On the screen, a picture and some information appeared._

_The guard read the information and spoke aloud, "Name?"_

"_Maskura Nailen."_

"_How old are you?"_

"_13."_

_He raised an eyebrow and asked, "A scientist at 13?" He sounded incredulous._

"_Well, yes."_

"_What's your expertise?"_

"_Botany and advanced mathematics."_

_A second guard entered the area and started whispering to the skeptical one that was questioning her._

"_Hm...I see..."_

"_Yes?" Maskura asked._

_The first guard didn't reply right off, not until the second guard had gone._

"_Just clearing something up. You're working at the Institute, right?"_

"_Yes."_

_He nodded, checked her luggage and tapped some keys, starting a printer. A moment later, he tore off some of the paper and handed it, the belongings and her card back to her._

"_Thank you," she replied politely._

"_Not a problem. If you'll go through that gate, you'll find someone waiting for you."_

_Maskura nodded, a little irritated at the guard's rudeness, but glad to be underway._

_As she continued down the path indicated, she came across something rather strange-looking: a small, mobile suit of armor. Complete with a pink feather on top of its head, carrying a silver and pink lance._

"_O-oh my, I hope she's here," she could hear a male voice from that direction, "I hope she didn't get lost, or on the w-w-wrong ship..."_

_She chuckled and walked up to the suit of armor._

"_You're an Eternal Squire, aren't you?"_

_The armor jumped straight up and yelped. When it landed, it turned around and looked right at her._

"_Y-yes, I am," the Squire, a male, replied, "U-Um, can you help me? My master is in another part of this spaceport and he told me to look for a new scientist coming in tonight."_

"_I'll try to help. What's the name?"_

"_M-Maskura Nailen."_

_That made her smile and reply, "Then you've already found her. I'm Maskura."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yes."_

"_That's great! O-okay, come with me! My master's waiting for you!"_

"_All right...um..."_

"_Oon!"_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_That's my name! Oon!"_

"_All right, then. Let's go."_

_The girl followed the Squire through the spaceport, looking for his master._

_**I'd like to know who would have an Eternal Squire for a master...supposedly, they serve only the purest and most honest.**_

_After a few minutes, Oon called out, "M-master! I found Miss Nailen!"_

_A short distance away, Maskura saw a tall man with brown hair and a white stripe in the middle, with equally brown eyes and a beard. She immediately took out a picture from a pocket in her slacks and looked at it._

_**So...this man is Audric. He's my...**_

_Audric turned around and saw Oon and the girl approaching._

"_Good work, Oon," he said to the Squire, then looked right at her._

"_Hello, Audric," she said as she bowed, "I'm Maskura Aitel Nailen. I believe you know my mother, sir."_

"_Your mother...? Wait, you mean Emira?"_

"_Yes...she's now known as Emira Nailen."_

"_I see..." Audric said quietly, then put a hand on Maskura's shoulder, saying the one thing that even the guard at Customs had failed to do._

"_Welcome to Argos V."_

Herc grumbled as he sat back in his seat on the bridge. A few hours ago, Gillian and Audric had gone with him to the infirmary to pull out all the shrapnel from the battle at Orias. Even with the wizard's magic, it had _hurt_.

Not that he would admit it to anyone.

Behind him, he heard doors opening.

_Gotta be Audric again._

That thought was proved wrong when he heard a female voice ask, "You're still up?"

He shook his head and said, "I could say the same for you, kid."

Alita hmphed and replied, "Kid? I told you, Herc, I'm nineteen. I don't know how it is in this universe, but where I come from, it means I'm an adult!"

"You're still half my age, _Alita_," he replied, putting sarcasm on her name, "So you're still just a kid. Now, mind telling me why you're still--"

He turned as he spoke and noticed that she was dressed as before, but her hair hung tightly around her neck.

"I was sleeping earlier, but when I woke up early, I couldn't go back to sleep," she replied, "So I took a quick shower."

"Figures."

She sighed and asked, "Mind if I sit down?"

"Sure, go right ahead."

She nodded and sat down in the seat beside the mercenary.

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"What can you tell me about Jayce?"

That question startled Herc.

"Why are you askin' that all of a sudden?"

"Well, I know next to nothing about this time or universe. Also, when I killed that Troop Leader, or whatever it was, I _did_ fully involve myself in this battle. Besides..."

"Besides what?"

"I did promise Audric that I'd help him and the rest of you find his missing son."

Herc sighed and closed his eyes. After a moment, he asked, "So what do ya want to know about him?"

"What's he like? You must have gotten to know him pretty well."

"Yeah, I did."

She nodded in a way that conveyed, "I'm listening."

"Well, like I said before, he was nineteen when I first met him. A real hotshot. Clever kid, but stubborn, especially when it came to Audric...the kind that would endanger himself if it meant saving innocent people. He'd also come up with plans that sounded so crazy you'd think they came from the loony farm..."

"Let me guess...and always worked?"

"One way or another, they did."

She chuckled and asked, "Anything else?"

"Yeah...he also can get pretty reckless. "

Alita nodded and asked, "Ok...I heard a little of this, but how come Jayce was looking for Audric?"

"According to what I was told, both had half of a type of plant called the Root. The Kid was looking for his old man to unite the two halves. Lots of near misses happened and deception on the part of the Moss-Heads. They've cloned Audric at least once."

"Hmm...that had to be really painful for Jayce."

"Eventually, yeah. Something like that involving a loved one is gonna take its toll on ya."

"Oon and Gillian hinted at this, but what's the significance of Kitta III?"

Now he turned pale.

"Herc?"

"Nobody told you, huh?"

"That's right."

"Great...just great, I gotta tell Miss Blast-from-the-past about _that_."

"Hey! I can't help that I came from the distant past. You want to blame someone, blame Gillian!"

"Yeah...he's owned up to that one for sure...okay, I'll tell ya. May as well."

She nodded and asked, "So...?"

"Bluntly, Kitta III's where everything started going wrong. We had just found Audric, the real one, on Safe Haven Aunitia. Somehow the Weed-Heads exploited a vulnerability in the planet's barrier and injected both him and the Executive Director with transponders. The next morning, both were kidnapped."

"Oh no..."

"Oh yes. Our only real luck was that during the night, Audric took his Root off and left it beside Jayce. Guess which planet we had to travel to that the top Weed-Head chose in his ransom?"

"Kitta III."

"Bingo. Things already didn't look good, and the planet's surface made it worse. The situation went downhill in a hurry..." Herc paused and his eyes held sparks of anger as he continued, "and in the end, Jayce disappeared."

"Hmm...what got _you_ involved with all this?" she asked, deciding to change the topic a bit.

"I crashed on a planet that was being taken over by Monster Minds. The bunch talked me into taking them on. I don't work for free, and Gillian had gotten what I thought was a mountain's worth of gold on board."

"What you had _thought_ was...what was it really?"

"Lead. By the time I found out, we had already gotten away from that planet. Heh, nobody bilks me and gets away with it, so I warned them that I was stickin' to them until I get paid for real. Terms became that when we found Audric, I'd get paid."

Alita nodded and asked, "When Kitta III happened...did you get paid?"

Herc was silent for a moment, then spoke again, very quietly.

"I'm takin' a big risk by tellin' ya...so what I'm about to say had better stay between us, ya hear me?"

Alita paused before replying, "Upon my honor."

"Huh?"

"In Japan, a person's honor is something to live and die by."

"Sounds like the Tengu." He nodded then said, "After Kitta III, my terms changed."

"Oh? What do you want now, then?"

The sparks in the mercenary's eyes turned to flame and he clenched one fist as he replied in a steely tone, "I want those Monster Minds wiped out. All of them."

Her eyes widened in something close to shock.

_Genocide?!_

"Those Moss-Heads forced Jayce to do what he did." He glanced at his unclenched hand as he continued, "The Kid's alive, still fighting the Monster Minds. For some reason he can't return to us, and it's really hurting him." _I'll say it's hurting him..._

"That has to be horrible."

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong. Truth is, I'm stayin' with these guys out of the friendships that got made during all this time. But, I'm also still a mercenary. By all rights..." he sighed and continued, "By all rights, my involvement should've been terminated after we found Audric, even though we lost Jayce in the process."

"So basically you changed your terms so that you'd have an excuse to stay with the Lightning League."

He chuckled and remarked, "You sure know how to cut to the chase. I like that."

Alita didn't know how to reply to that, so she stayed silent. Strangely enough, she felt rueful.

"But yeah, that's exactly why. Truth still remains, I want those overgrown veggies to pay for what they've caused. Those are my payment terms. Anything else I'll just call a bonus."

She nodded and said, "I won't tell anyone. Upon my honor, I swear it."

As she spoke, the sense of sadness and the feeling of being touched by Herc's words went through her.

"Thanks," he replied.

"Now, you'd better go back to your room and at least rest."

"All right."

Alita got up and walked towards the doors.

"Herc...?"

"Yeah?"

She paused before she said, "You know...I think I wouldn't mind you calling me 'kid' after all."

He chuckled and replied with a thumbs-up, "You got it, kid."

She smiled and went through the doors.

A short ways down, she saw Gillian, standing there. Her smile vanished and her tone became cold.

"Hope the wizard's code doesn't include eavesdropping."

"All I heard was Herc telling you to keep something between you, so I moved out of hearing range."

She nodded and said in a more grateful tone, "Thanks. What're you doing up at this hour?"

"Alita, may I have a look at your sword?"

That made her eyes widen. "What do you want with it?"

"Just to examine it, nothing more."

"All right," she replied and drew her blade before handing offering it carefully to him.

Gillian took it carefully and looked at it closely.

"Hmm...the words, what do they mean? I'm afraid that this language is beyond my knowledge."

"It's in a type of Japanese called Hiragana. _Tsurugi no Sei Hikari_. Literally, it means 'Sword of Spirits' Light'. In English, it's called 'Sword of Holy Light'."

He nodded and took out his wand. He placed one end of the staff on the blade and chanted something softly.

Alita's sword pulsed with first a rainbow's light, which then changed to white.

"T-this is...!" Gillian's eyes widened as he saw the results.

He put the wand back into his robes, and as he did, the light on the sword faded away.

She checked the sword carefully.

"Do not worry, Alita, the sword is unchanged."

"That's good," she replied as she sheathed it, "So...what did you do?"

"Give me some time to think about it," he answered, "When I'm ready, I'll tell everyone."

"All right. I'm going to go back to my room and rest," she said, then added in a sharper tone, "I'm not letting you off the hook. I'm still holding you responsible for my being here at all. Yeah my killing the Troop Leader got me fully involved, but that fact still doesn't change."

As she walked off, Gillian sighed and replied sadly, "I didn't think I would be 'off the hook' so easily, my girl..."


	10. To Planet Maetel

_Chapter 9: To Planet Maetel_

_Author's Note: The Chapter name (and planet's name) is a tip of the hat to Maetel from Galaxy Express 999._

_**Before Audric, Oon, Flora and I went to the clothing store on Orias, I bought (with Audric's help) a journal and some pens. After all, the diary I originally had is back on Earth...**_

_**I don't know the calendar system here yet, so for now, I won't be dating my entries.**_

_**Like Audric said, we arrived on Maelin Prime by the following afternoon. I'll say this now, that planet has a good variation of terrains and it's inhabited, which made it perfect for training me, as Herc put it.**_

_**We've been on Maelin for 2 weeks now.**_

_**In that time, I've been learning to drive the vehicles for both exploration and combat, thanks to Gillian's holographic device. I'll write in here my progress and thoughts on each of them.**_

_**Armed Force: Gotten much better with it since Orias. As to my thoughts...it's pretty good. I heard it was made for Audric and that Jayce had used it primarily. That makes me a little uneasy.**_

_**Drill Sergeant: Pretty decent at using it. The Magnetizer and Mind Messer are pretty fun, but otherwise I don't like it.**_

_**Quick Draw: Even though I'm a sword-user, I like this one. It's got the Mind Messer, Magnetizer, Gravity Increaser and a slew of other weapons. According to Audric, It's a tough call as to which I am better at: Armed Force or this one. Good thing it's Spike Trike that is Herc's favorite.**_

_**Spike Trike: I don't get much time with training for this vehicle, since it's it's Herc's favorite, like I wrote above, so I really can't say.**_

_**Fling Shot: This one I have mixed feelings about. It's definitely one that's for heavy artillery. I heard from Gillian that all the vehicles have an ability they call Stack N' Attack, which makes almost all the weapons interchangeable. I'm fairly proficient with this, but not as much as I am with Armed Force and Quick Draw. I respect the potential it has, but, something makes me shiver when I use it.**_

_**Spray Gunner: I don't like this one at all. I think that may be because there seems to be only one or two purposes, and all of them have to do with spraying liquids.**_

_**Trail Blazer is mostly automated, so no comments there.**_

_**I've also been trained some with Space Scooters. Now these are fun, even if they're exploration tools only.**_

_**Flora moved in with me once we arrived on Maelin. I have to admit, it's nice to room with another girl, even if she is younger than I am, and I'd rather it be her than Gillian. What takes getting used to is that she carries on conversations with all plants and animals. On Earth, she would definitely be seen as crazy and locked up in an institution.**_

_**Speaking of which, ever since that night on the Pride, he hasn't said a thing to anyone about my sword, and what he did with that staff of his. If I don't hear anything in the next few days, I'll demand answers from him.**_

_**The Guardian's been quiet throughout the training. You know, this whole time, I never thought to wonder or ask anything where he's concerned. All I've known is this: one, he's been with me since I was born, maybe since conception. Two, he would wake up when I was attacked, but not when I was being punished for something I did wrong. Three, Before I turned 19, the amulet shocked anyone that tried to open it, including me. The only other thing I know is that...well...the Guardian is a he.**_

_**I've got a lot of questions now. Who made the Monster Minds, and why? What is this Root that Audric and his son were trying to join? What happened on Kitta III on that day 3 years ago? Where is Jayce? The girl in my dreams, who is Maskura? What is it between her and Audric?**_

_**Does my Guardian have a name? If he does, who is he?**_

Alita heard the door open as she finished writing the entry.

"Flora?" she asked.

"No," a male voice replied.

She looked up and closed the journal.

"Oh. Hi, Audric," she greeted with a smile, "Something wrong?"

He shook his head and sat down beside the bed, where she was sitting.

"Good to see that you're relaxing."

"Relaxing?"

"As Herc said on Orias, you sounded stiff and forced."

"Oh...my speech. Come to think of it, I guess I _am_. I'd been focusing so hard on the training that I hadn't noticed."

"Speaking of which, I spoke to Gillian and Herc. Thanks to these past 2 weeks, I can rest easy about how you'll do once we go into battle again."

"Okay. When will we be blasting off?"

"We'll be underway within the hour. Alita..."

"Yes?"

"The next planet we're going to is very peaceful. It's a planet of cutting-edge technology and science. They have an extensive library on numerous subjects."

"Really?" she asked, smiling a bit, "I love books! What's the planet called?"

"Maetel. That reminds me of something."

"What is it?"

"When we approach Maetel, Gillian said he has something to tell us, and that it involves you."

Alita nodded and replied, "I'll consider myself warned." She yawned and stretched.

"You've been training hard. Get some rest today."

"I will. I'll see you later, Audric."

He ruffled her hair with a small chuckle and left her quarters.

_So Gillian's finally going to talk about the sword, huh? Or is it something else...?_

After she put her journal away, Alita snuggled into her bed and fell asleep.

Audric sat at the table in his quarters, in front of the viewscreen. There was an image of Dea, at her desk.

"I'll do that, then. If you'll excuse me, I'll contact him right now."

"_Of course. Until later. Aunitia out."_

Dea's image disappeared and Audric tapped on the keyboard. A few minutes later, a somewhat familiar face appeared on the viewscreen, one he hadn't seen in a long time.

"_Audric! Now this is a surprise,"_ the Visani greeted.

"It has been some time, Squiresmith," he agreed, "This isn't quite a social call, though."

"_Is something the matter?"_

Audric sighed and explained the situation, starting with what had happened on Erida II. The Squiresmith, Wixlan, listened quietly, his expression close to neutral.

"_That's quite a situation."_

"There's more."

"_More?"_

"Yes. It's come as a surprise, but apparently Oon has chosen a new master: our newcomer to the Lightning League."

"_Did you say **chosen**?"_

"I did."

"_That's very odd...an Eternal Squire, especially that one, choosing a master completely on his own...it's never happened before. Has he said anything that might hint as to why?"_

"Not that I've heard."

"_How does the person feel about it?"_

"She's not happy with it at all. Whether it's out of respect to his current masters or not, I don't know. Wixlan, should I bring Oon to you?"

"_No...I'll monitor him from here. I may be able to find some clues that way."_

"All right. What do I tell him about--"

"_My advice? One thing is clear, he did this for a reason. I suggest you allow it."_

Audric nodded, "He'll be happy to hear it, and she won't be."

"_Yes...Audric, I have a bad feeling about all of this. Be careful."_

"You too. Audric out."

As Wixlan's face blinked out, the man took a deep breath and sighed.

"You're not the only one, old friend."

_When Maskura had come to Argos V, it had been on the weekend. From the spaceport, Oon and Audric took her on a tour of the Institute grounds, where she would be both working and living. The lab she would be working in was in the central part of the complex, with the quarters on the north and southeast sectors. Her own apartment rooms were in the southeast sector, a short distance from Audric's. She had spent the weekend afterwards getting to know where things like grocery stores, computer shops and restaurants were at, as well as memorizing the path between her house and the lab._

_Now, Maskura finished putting on her Institute uniform, a gray tunic and skirt and black knee-high boots. On her chest was an identification card that had her picture, name and sector number on it._

_**Now to see how I look...**_

_She turned to a mirror to appraise her appearance. Her hair, brown with a white stripe in the middle, normally went down a little past her shoulders. Today though, she put it up into a bun._

_**That should do nicely.**_

_A harsh chime sounded, startling her._

_**What the—oh...it's the door chime.**_

"_Who is it?"_

"_Audric," was the reply,"Are you ready?"_

"_Yes, sir, I'm on my way."_

_The teenager then went to the door and tapped on a panel to open it._

_In front of her, Audric was wearing a similar uniform. He looked at her for a moment, then nodded._

"_Nervous?"_

"_N-no...well, maybe a little..." she replied._

_He shook his head, smiling a tiny smile. "Shall we get going? I'll need to introduce you to the others on the team."_

"_Of course, sir."_

_The two of them were quiet as they traveled from her apartment rooms to the lab. Unlike when she had memorized the path, the corridors were now filled with people coming and going. Most of them nodded in greeting to Audric and a few of the scientists did a double-take when they saw the girl beside him._

_In one corridor, a pair of scientists were talking. One of them, a man with glasses and thinning hair spoke to a middle-aged woman._

"_Think that's a visitor?" he muttered._

"_Nope, she's in uniform...but doesn't she look a bit young? I'd think that scientists would be--"_

_**Excuse me?!**_

"_Would be what?" Audric asked before she could retort._

_Both gulped and the man replied, "N-nothing, sir!"_

"_I didn't think so. Yes, she is a scientist, same as the rest of us. Understand?"_

"_Y-yes, sir!"_

_As they continued on, Audric said, "Don't let comments like that get to you, Maskura."_

"_It's all right, sir, I've heard similar things ever since I was a child."_

_Audric nearly replied to that, but shook his head instead. A few minutes later, the pair arrived at the lab in Sector 9. He keyed a combination on the panel and the door opened._

"_The door takes either a combination or a handprint scan. Some of the team members find the former easier, while some others prefer the latter."_

"_I'll keep that in mind."_

_He nodded and the two of them walked into the lab._

_The laboratory was expansive, with several large windows that allowed sunshine inside. In several sections were plants that were either planted into the ground or in pots and on shelves. Several people were taking notes on experiments, talking in groups or examining and watering plants._

"_Your attention, please," Audric called out when the doors slid shut behind the pair._

_Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and turned around._

"_I'd like to introduce all of you to someone. This is Maskura Nailen," he continued, "As of today, she's working on our team here."_

_The information caused a buzz in the area._

"_What? **She's** Maskura Nailen?"_

"_She's a teenager...I thought she'd be older than this."_

"_Gotta be some mistake in the paperwork..."_

_One of the scientists, a middle-aged male human with black hair, and dark eyes, came over to them and asked, "Excuse me, miss...are you **the** Maskura Nailen? The one that invented a set of formulas that allowed rice to grow on planet Maelin Beta?"_

_She shook her head and replied, "No, it was to allow spice plants to grow on planet Orias, a desert planet. Those spices lately have been used in all foods and drinks. Maelin Beta was someone else's doing."_

_Audric looked between the two._

"_Ah, I see," the man replied, "I was just testing her, sir." He looked directly at her and added, "Sorry about that, Miss Nailen. I'm Rhalto Keters."_

_She smiled slightly and replied, "Please, we're on the same team and under the same leader. Call me Maskura."_

"_In that case, call me Rhalto."_

_Audric smiled slightly and said, "Would you mind showing her around the lab and getting her started?"_

"_Not a problem, sir!"_

_As the two took off for different parts of the lab, Maskura glanced back and saw a look of relief in Audric's eyes before he went on his rounds._

"_Are you sure we haven't met before today, Maskura?"_

"_Positive. Why?"_

"_Because for some reason, you remind me of someone..."_

"_Oh? Who?"_

"_I don't know...can't quite put my finger on it..."_

"Lita...? Lita!"

Alita groaned as she opened her eyes. In front of her was Flora, carefully shaking the older woman.

"Hm...? What's going on?"

"Audric said to wake you up. We've entered the system and we'll be at Maetel soon."

_Oh...! Maetel..._

"Ok, we'll get going soon," she replied and grabbed a hairbrush.

"Lita?"

"Yes?"

"Who's Maskura?"

She stiffened for a moment, startled by the question.

"Why are you asking?"

"Well, I heard you saying a name in your sleep...Maskura Nailen, and I heard you mention Audric."

Alita abruptly turned and looked at the girl while she brushed her hair.

"Well...to be honest...ever since the first day I came here, I'd sometimes have dreams about her. She's ultra smart, a scientist at 14. She's stuff that I'll never be."

"Come to think of it," Flora said, "I heard Audric say that word a few times. He always said it meant 'little niece', but now I wonder."

"Hmm...hey, after we're done here at Maetel, can you remind me about this?"

"Okay, but why?"

"I might have a talk with Audric about this."

She nodded, then said with a giggle, "We'd better get going before Oon gets in here."

"Definitely. Last thing I want to deal with is him calling me 'Mistress Lita'!"

Laughing, both girls quickly left their quarters and went up to the bridge.

Once they got there, they saw that everyone else was there, and that included Oon.

"You two seem to be in good moods," Gillian observed.

"That's girl stuff," Alita replied, "But good morning to you too."

Audric said, "Before we arrive, there are a couple of things that need to be discussed. Gillian...?"

The old wizard nodded and said, "Several days ago, I examined Alita's sword, the weapon she used against the Monster Mind vines and the Troop Leader."

She asked, "Yeah, I remember you did something, then reacted to the sword turning white.."

"Yes, I did. Now I'll explain."

Alita nodded, very curious.

"Some of you may know this, but in ages past, certain items were created. Each had its own purpose and power, but all of them were objects to be used against evil. They were either created or blessed by someone by the name of Aruleia. These were called Divine Objects."

"Divine Objects?" Flora asked, "I've heard of those...seven of them were created, weren't they?"

"Not quite, my child. Seven have been recorded, and the existence of two others have only been hinted at in records...until now."

"What do you mean, Gillian?" Alita asked.

"Your sword, my dear, is the 8th Divine Object."

Alita drew her sword and looked at it closely.

"This...? _Tsurugi no Sei Hikari?"_

"Yes. Apparently, its power and purpose is to destroy evil beings such as the Monster Minds."

"Are you serious? The Hayasaka family forged that sword a very long time ago, according to a woman named Chiaki, and it was blessed by a divine spirit."

"The 'divine spirit' must have been Aruleia," Gillian mused.

"That sword?" Herc asked, incredulous.

"Don't laugh, Herc," Audric replied, "I've seen it in action on Orias."

"When I went after that one Troop leader, it cut its stalk off, but wouldn't touch the rest of the vehicle," Alita explained, "Not until it changed form."

"Hmm...so it only affects Monster Mind vines or the plant form of the original ones," the scientist said in a low voice.

"I did promise you that I would tell you when the time was right," Gillian said to Alita.

"That you did...at least now I know what's going on with that."

"One other thing," Audric added, "Oon, Alita..."

"Y-Yes?"

"What is it?"

The older man took a deep breath, silently praying that he wasn't making a mistake, "Oon, you've served both Jayce and I faithfully for many years. For that, I thank you."

"I-it's always been my honor, Master Audric."

He smiled a soft and sad smile, then said, "I've thought about this for some time, ever since Orias."

The Eternal Squire asked, "Master, are you saying...?"

_Once I say these words, there's no turning back,_ he thought. After a moment, he said, "Eternal Squire Oon, Alita Saaru is your new master. Serve her as faithfully as you have my son and I."

"Audric, are you serious?"

"Very," he replied.

_Oh great..._ Alita thought, _Audric **is** serious. This is going to be real awkward._

Oon saluted and said in a tone of joy and pride, "I-I will! T-thank you, Master Audric!" He then quickly walked over to the teenager's side and saluted to her. "I'm honored to serve you, Mistress Lita!"

_How do I reply to **this**?!_

There was a sense of laughter in her mind.

_You think this is funny?_

At this, she heard a voice in her mind, one she hadn't heard in weeks, and it spoke apologetically.

_**Sorry, but it is. The only thing you can do now is to thank him and count on him.**_

Out loud, she said, "Thank you, Oon. I'm counting on you."

Audric nodded approvingly and gave her a quick, apologetic look before saying, "Now that both things are out of the way...Herc, you know what to do."

"Yeah, I know. The spaceport in Maetel's capital city, right?"

"That's right. Alita..."

"Yes?"

"When we go through the procedures, let Herc and I do the talking, especially where you're concerned. Alright?"

"Okay."

She thought to herself, _First I wind up here, then I get involved fully into this battle...and now I wind up with Oon! Just what's going to happen to me now...?_


	11. Maetel

_Chapter 10: Maetel_

Note: Mention of planet Amaet and events in "The Academy trial" from here on is with Cindy Noble's permission.

Alita was quiet as she and the rest of the Lightning League went through the procedures after landing on the planet's surface, which included security scans and Customs. As suggested, she let Audric and Herc do the talking when they asked questions about her.

_Like they're gonna believe that I'm from Earth in the distant past and that my body's changing because of who knows what..._

She remained silent until they stepped out from the spaceport and into the city itself.

"Whoa..." the teenager said in a low voice as she looked around her.

The roads in front of them were neither dirt nor covered in tar and asphalt, but rather were paved, white and shining in the sunlight. She bent down to look closely and saw that what had been used to pave them were shaped like bricks. The sidewalks also looked to be made of the same material, whatever it was, as the streets.

Audric smiled and Gillian chuckled as she rapped on the road. The wizard said, "They look like bricks on Earth, don't they?"

"Yes, they do, but they feel like smooth stones. They're so white, almost like ivory in color, and in a way, it reminds me of opals."

"They _are_ stones, my child," he replied, "They emit light, but not so much that one is blinded by it in the sunlight."

"I'm not surprised by your reaction," Audric said to her, "A lot of people that come here for the first time do the same thing that you're doing. If you think the roads are impressive, look at the buildings."

She got up and looked around. The buildings themselves looked to be made of metal and ivory, with statues of people that seemed to be carved as part of the walls. Near the sidewalk...

_I don't see any edges...no gaps or anything...it looks like the buildings were grown right where they stand...but that can't be._

Up and down the sidewalk where rows of grass, flowers and trees, and in front of some buildings were tables, chairs and large umbrellas. There were people standing and talking, and a few walked on the sidewalks, but not that many. Above them, a number of machines, some small and others larger, flew across the sky, traveling to different parts of the city.

A moderate wind blew, and out of habit, Alita put her hand close to her ear, trying to keep it out of her face.

_Wow,_ she thought, _right out of a science-fiction novel!_

"So," Herc asked, "Where's everyone gonna go to?"

"I need to speak to a friend," Audric replied.

"I'd like to go over to the Grand Library," Gillian said, "There are legends that I need to research."

"Legends of who?"

"The being that blessed your sword, Alita...Aruleia."

"I'll leave the legends and magic stuff to you, old man. You know where I'll be," Herc said with a grin.

"You'd better--"

"Don't worry, Audric, I won't get myself arrested."

"Well, I heard there's a huge garden near the center of the city," Flora said, excited, "I wanna go there, then over to the Grand Library!"

"I'd better go with you," Alita said with a smile, "I want to see both places, and someone's got to keep an eye on you."

"A-and I'll go with you and Flora, Mistress Lita!"

She nearly told the Squire to quit calling her that, but sighed and didn't object.

_He **does** have a valid reason to call me that now. I don't like it, but it's true._

"Oon, have you even been to Maetel before?"

"Of course I have, Mistress, once with Master Audric. He was here for a few months, right along with miss Mask--"

Audric quickly and firmly said, "Oon, that's enough."

"O-oh! Sorry, master."

Alita raised an eyebrow, then said, "Good, now I don't have to worry about getting lost. Where should we meet back?"

"Over at the Grand Library. I'll call everyone when it's time to meet."

She nodded then said, "Ok, then. See you all later!" The woman then motioned for Oon and Flora to come on.

As the two girls and the Squire took off, Audric sighed and shook his head.

_That was close..._

00000

Gillian arrived at the Grand Library soon after departing from the other members, by way of a teleportation spell simple enough to get him there without too much stamina being lost.

_Besides, I'll have ample time to rest while doing my research._

In fact, not even ten minutes later, the wizard was at a table, with a pile of books and text on top of it. One of the books, _Divine Legends_, was open and right in front of him.

"Hmm...now where was it," he muttered to himself as he looked through the pages, glancing at the names, "The Alestia gardens...ambrosia...angels. Getting closer...ah, there it is! Aruleia..."

He fished around in his robes, and after a moment, he pulled out what looked almost like a small, white recording device. The wizard pressed a red button in the center, cleared his throat, then began speaking and reading.

"Now...according to ancient legends, people of the different planets had many views on Aruleia. Some saw her as the creator of the universe...hmph, very unlikely...a few thought that she was a demon...but most others view her as an angel. The latter view is most likely, since she either had a hand in or actually created 9 Divine Objects. 7 of the objects have been confirmed and documented. Each one contains a holy power that, in the wrong hands, would bring disaster. In the worse case scenario, forces of evil could realistically use them to end not only the universe...but time itself."

That made him, as well as one of the nearby workers, shudder.

"The 7 documented objects include a large stone with powers used to protect life and find living beings aligned with light, including people--"

Gillian stopped reading for a moment, very surprised. _Large stone with powers...if I'm right, then we've already come across one of the Divine Objects. To think that the Liberty Stone had such origins. I wonder how Aruleia would have felt about how it was used, and its destruction..._

"...including people," he continued, "This item's whereabouts are unknown and goes by many names, but the most common amongst them is the Liberty Stone."

Reading that made Gillian feel sick.

_My goodness...I never would have thought that the Liberty Stone was that powerful, or that dangerous. If Jayce had known, I don't honestly know what he would have done._

"Ahem...another of the objects is a type of hammer...anything made with it is given life. It is rumored that the hammer that Squiresmith Wixlan uses to create the Eternal Squires is one and the same. If that's true, it would disprove the view that the Visani's mastery of magic was responsible. Although...the truth may well be that both the hammer and magic are used...hmm... The third Object is..."

The wizard continued dictating into the device, reading from the book.

_As I thought, one of the undocumented objects is Alita's sword. The only rumored object left is, according to this text, a circle of diamond-like stones. Just how many of the Divine Objects have we come across and not known it, I wonder?_

About an hour later, he stopped talking as he saw the next section: _Aruleia, Vessel of._

The wizard looked around him, then cast an anti-sound barrier around him before he continued speaking.

"This...is a section I've never even heard of before. Several eons ago, Aruleia's body split from the soul. Sometime around then, the soul went into a type of sleep, only to awaken whenever an evil force known as the Black Wave threatens all of existence. It is unknown how, or if, the body reappears, but the soul is another story. That crucial part of the angel always sleeps within the innocent, and transfers itself to another either when the vessel dies or turns to evil. The carrier is known by many names, but the most direct one is the Vessel of Aruleia. As stated before, only when the Black Wave poses a menace does she return, but even then it's under very specific circumstances. There is a spell that is connected to the Vessel, but it also serves as a way of identifying him or her. The words are..."

Gillian trailed off, reading the last part to himself. After a few moments, he looked up and shut off the recording device.

"This..." he whispered, then shook his head, trying to clear it.

_Ever since Orias, I started having a bad feeling about our current situation,_ he thought, _but the more I read about Aruleia, the Divine Objects and the Vessel, the worse the feeling gets. I've lived for over a thousand years, seen and learned much. I don't know what we've gotten ourselves tied into. I can sense, though, that whatever it is, it's been set into motion. It's far too late to prevent any of it now._

00000

Audric sat at an outdoor table, on the veranda of one of the cafes in the city. The wind blew in his face, making his hair and beard flap around. The slight chill it had taken since the Lightning League had arrived, however, made him shudder.

_Where is he...? _he thought, _the message said that he was here..._

The door to the main part of the establishment opened, and one of the waitresses came out. She went right to the table and asked, "What can I get you today?"

The scientist replied, "What's the special?"

"Special is Maetel's beef stew, using spices from Orias."

"I'll have one of those...and Light's Glimmer."

The waitress nodded and said in a low voice, "Your friend will be here soon. Also, I have a message from Gorda."

He nodded in a way that showed that he was listening.

"'Cappela the 4th got mired into tar and moss. Needs cleaning."

Audric grimaced at that message, groaning a little.

"Understood. The cleaning crew be on their way as soon as possible."

She nodded, then looked over as the door opened. "Ah, there he is. I'll get his order, now. Want anything to _really_ drink?"

"Maetel's grape-water."

She laughed and replied, "That sounds just like you. All right, that'll be a few minutes," before walking over to the new arrival, a short and squat man that looked like what Lita called an ancient Viking. He was only a little taller than Oon. Once she got his order, she hurried back inside the main building.

"I was starting to worry about you, Wixlan," Audric said.

"Sorry, I had to take a call," he replied, then sat down in the chair in front of the scientist. He continued, "I was quite surprised to get your transmission. How did you know I had left Forge Home to come here on business?"

"Dea told me."

"Ahh yes, the Aunitian Director. She certainly is clever and has her own information sources, doesn't she?" Wixlan leaned back and asked, "Did you do as I suggested?"

"Yes. She's his master now. She's not happy about it, but she accepted the responsibility."

He nodded and said, "Now, what else has happened?"

"My son has appeared, twice."

"Oh?"

"Once on Erida II, the other time on Orias. On Erida, I spoke to him briefly, but Herc says he saw and talked to him on the desert planet."

Wixlan nodded as he looked to the windy sky with an unusual expression: dread.

"You still have that bad feeling?"

"Yes, and it's gotten even worse. A lot of things are going on at one time, too many to be coincidences."

"You mean everything I've mentioned?"

"And more. Don't ask me to explain everything right now; I'll tell you another time." The old Squiresmith sighed and said, "You'll be off again soon?"

"Tomorrow morning. The others are taking in the city's sights, especially the new one."

Wixlan nodded grimly. Though he spoke to Audric of news he had gathered, he thought, _No need to tell him the rumors of the Light Avatar being reborn. That would lead to things that my old friend has no need to know right now..._

00000

Upon terminating the connection with Wixlan on Maetel, Dea sat back in the chair in her office and rubbed at her temples with her index fingers.

_Rumors are already spreading all over the universe about the girl with the Dataform, the one that killed one of the original Monster Minds. Some say that she's the Dataform and that the lifehost is someone else, while others think that she's from outside of this universe. But those rumors aren't as disturbing as the other topic._

Dea had heard, from some of her sources, that the Light Avatar had been reborn.

That bit of news was enough to make her blood run cold.

_Gods...if that's true, then the Prophecy of Ascension is upon is, and with it is the War of the Light. If Sawboss hears of this, he'll send out Monster Minds to kill him, _she thought, then added belatedly, _or her._

A beep sounded a few moments later, and the receptionist appeared on the screen.

"_Director Dea," _the brown-haired woman announced, _"You have an incoming transmission from someone named Morganna."_

The blonde-haired woman replied, "Patch it in."

On the screen was a woman with long, ravel-black hair, a hard face and cold eyes.

"Hello, Lady Morganna," Dea greeted cordially.

"_No need for that. Call me Morganna."_

"Of course. How is the Guild doing?"

"_Ugh. Some of them lost their spirit after that kid pulled his vanishing act. They want us to go back to being pirates, saying that he's dead and that their promise is void."_

She winced, "My condolences. You can tell them that he's not only alive, but been sighted on two worlds, including Orias."

The woman nodded, then said, _"Is it true? That he's alive?"_

"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't. Listen, Morganna..."

"_Yes?"_

"I need you to gather all of your members and prepare for battle."

"_What for?"_

"The _Pride_ will eventually head for Aunitia, with precious cargo on board. They're going to need armed assistance."

"_Armed assistance, eh? I take it that Sawboss will try to keep them from reaching you."_

"As a certain ex-pirate might say, 'even money bet'."

"_I see. I'll have them ready to leave as soon as I get a signal from you."_

Dea smiled. "Good. They'll have plenty of action soon enough. Aunitia out."

Just as the image blinked out, the receptionist appeared again.

"Another call?"

"_Yes. It's from Orion's Hunters."_

The woman sighed and replied, "All right. Patch him through."

_This is going to be a long day._

00000

Alita, Oon and Flora walked about the city, and at one point, the three of them went into an indoor restaurant to not only get out of the wind, but to get something to eat and drink.

Inside, the place had a cheerful air to it as people danced to music on a medium sized dance floor, with a glittering silver ball that was hung on the tall ceiling. At the moment, though, the ball was unlit.

The trio took their seats in a booth overlooking the dance floor, with Alita and Flora sitting on the right side and Oon on the left.

"Are these menus?" Alita asked, pointing at some brown folders that were on the other side of the table.

"Yeah, they are."

The teenager gave the child one and looked through the second one. One thought ran through her mind as she read what the place served: _Thank goodness I can read these, I was worried that they would be in a foreign language..._

A waitress came up to them and said, "My, don't you three look cute, especially you two sisters. "

"We're not sisters," the older teenager replied.

"Oh, sorry. You sure look like you are, though. Can I get you anything today?"

Flora said, "I'll just have some spiced pancakes with plenty of syrup and some Maetel grape-water."

Alita chuckled but only said, "I'll have the special and some spiced ginger tea."

The waitress nodded as she wrote the orders down. "Good choice. It'll be a few minutes. Oh, while you're waiting...if you want to request something, we have a music player next to the dance floor."

Flora's eyes widened a little as she said, "Thanks! I just might check it out."

After the woman took off, Alita said to the girl, "Shall we?"

The plant-girl chuckled and nodded right before she bounded out of her seat. The older woman hurried carefully after her. Once both arrived, Flora started to go through the songs available.

_A lot of these I don't know...then again, I haven't been in this time all that long, either._

The girls' eyes widened when they saw one song title in particular.

"Oh, wow! They do have it here!" Flora said with a wide smile.

Alita said, incredulous, "This one? _Godsibb_?!"

"Yeah! How do you know about it?"

"Hold on...it could be a totally different song than the one I know. After all, how much time's passed? A few million years?"

"Hmm...well I know it because back in Gillian's garden, this song would sometimes play. I've always liked it."

She nodded and said, "Well, let's pick this one, then. It'd be funny if that tune's the same as the one I know."

Flora nodded and pulled out a card and inserted it into the music player. After a moment, she touched the song's title on the screen, then pulled the card out a moment later.

As the two girls started back to their seat, the current song stopped and another began. When they heard the first notes, Alita's breath caught in surprise.

_It _is_! That's the one from Kajiura-san!_

Flora grinned and hurried to the dance floor before Alita could stop her. As soon as she found a spot, the younger girl started to dance in time to the beat.

Alita stood just to the left of the floor's entrance, watching and listening.

_I know this song..._

In her mind, she heard a voice she hadn't heard in some time.

The Guardian said, _**I know this song...**_

An image unfolded itself before her eyes...

_A younger red-haired girl was talking to some plants in a magical garden when she heard a familiar, favorite song. She stepped a short distance away so she wouldn't hurt any of the plants and began to dance._

_A short distance away, Gillian was watching. When he had heard the sound station begin this piece, he turned the volume up so that the child would be able to hear it._

_There was a laugh from a young kid, perhaps around fourteen, then he said, "You really do like that song, don't you, Flora?"_

"_Of course I do!" she said as she turned and stepped, then turned in an arc, "It really makes me want to dance, and most music that I listen to doesn't."_

"_Where's the song come from?"_

_Gillian replied, "Originally? It's a very ancient bit of music from a world that no longer exists. However, someone got a hold of a copy that's just as ancient and made it new again. It's very popular on the planet Maetel."_

"_It **is** pretty catchy," the boy admitted, "How did she first hear it?"_

"_One of Audric's workers brought a copy and played it when Flora was very small. She's been hooked on it ever since."_

"_Aw, she'll grow tired of it."_

"_Somehow, I don't think so, my boy. I don't think so."_

Alita shook her head and asked, "Is this your memory?"

There was no reply.

_The words are different, but it's the same one,_ she thought and heard herself singing the original lyrics.

00000

Flora's eyes were closed as she danced to the song that she had always liked. Her steps were in time to the beat, and as the beat started to quicken, she would also arch slightly before her arms began to spiral downwards from her head. A few of the other dancers had to maneuver out of the way, and a couple of them were a little irritated to do so.

_It's been so long since I've heard this song! I'm really glad to dance like this, especially after everything that's happened. _ _This is so fun, I feel so free--_

_**Kuela.**_

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped in surprise.

Her green eyes grew very distant as she realized that the voice, sounding like a very little girl, was in her mind and not spoken aloud.

_What was that...?_

_**Kuela!**_

"Kuela...?" She repeated out loud.

Alita hurried to the younger teenager and shook her shoulders lightly. Her expression changing to concern, she bent a bit and spoke quietly in the younger one's ear.

"Hey, Flora...the drinks are here and the food's coming. C'mon back to the table, okay?"

"O-Okay..." she said as she shook her head, as though trying to shake something loose.

As she was led back to the booth, she heard the older woman ask, "You okay? Sense any Monster Minds?"

"N-no...I didn't sense anything," she replied.

Flora said nothing more about what had happened....not out loud anyway.

00000

At sunset, Alita, Flora and Oon were the first ones to arrive right in front of the Grand Library. The older woman looked about and saw Gillian, sitting on the left side of the steps.

"Flora, how about you talk to some plants here? Maybe they've heard something about you-know-who."

"They might," she replied and went off to one section of the walkway where a small garden of flowers was growing.

Alita quietly went up to the wizard and said, "Am I glad to see you, Gillian."

He raised an eyebrow at her words and asked, "Has something happened with Flora?"

She chuckled and replied, "You don't miss a thing. Yes, something happened. Over at a restaurant, she heard a song we both know," she paused before continuing, "One you used to play in your garden, one that Audric's assistant introduced her to--"

His eyes narrowed as he asked, "How do you know that?"

"That's not important right now—"

"I beg to differ, my girl, but it is."

She sighed and said, "While over there, this memory appeared into my mind, but it sure isn't mine. You were talking to a boy about _Godsibb_ and Flora while she danced to the song playing on a radio..."

His eyes widened and he murmured, "I'm glad that I'm already sitting."

Alita continued, "Anyway, about Flora, while she was dancing at the restaurant, she gasped and looked a little spacey. She also said a strange word."

"What word is that? Do you remember it?"

"No way I'd forget something like that. She said _Kuela_."

There was a sharp intake of breath at this. Before he could reply, though, he heard familiar voices, coming from 2 different directions.

"Heeey there, you guys!" Herc called out, waving a hand as he approached from the southwest path.

"I see everyone's already here," Audric said as he came from the southeast, "How about we go back to the Barge before anything's discussed--" He cut himself off as he asked, "Old friend, are you all right? You don't look well."

"I feel rather ill," he admitted, "Let's go back as quickly as possible."

"Will you be well enough to move?" Alita asked.

"Yes, I will," he simply replied.

The scientist nodded, although he and the swordswoman both wore dubious expressions.

00000

Once everyone was on board the Barge, Gillian quickly went to his chambers, saying that he still felt ill and needed rest. Everyone else went onto the bridge.

"So, what's going on?" Alita asked.

"We've received a request for help from Cappela IV," Audric said plainly.

Alita asked, "Monster Minds?"

"Exactly."

"Cappela IV? Isn't that one of those science planets?" Herc asked.

"Yes. To be honest, I'm a little reluctant about taking this one on. The people there are very similar in attitude to those on planet Amaet."

Alita suddenly felt sharp, strong anger when she heard this and audibly hissed.

_**Amaet! I remember them. I remember what they did!**_

"Hey, Alita, you okay?" Herc asked.

"Hm...? Y-yes, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. In fact, you look like you're about to blow."

She took a few deep breaths, trying to quell the strong anger that had appeared. After a few moments, her expression became normal, though concern and anger bubbled beneath the surface as she said, "What about Flora?"

"What about her?" Herc asked.

"Back on Earth, there's a nation that would see someone like her and decide to do a dissection. If this planet is a science world, like you say--"

Audric nodded, "You have a point." He then turned to Flora and said, "I'd prefer it if you stay on the ship."

She shook her head, "No. I'll fight, too."

"Flower face!" Herc exclaimed.

"Flora, no," both Audric and Alita said at the same time.

"Cappela's real dangerous for living plants," Herc agreed, "You really don't wanna know what they'd do to you if they get their claws into ya!"

"Herc, I'm thirteen years old. I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"Little enough to get snatched."

She sighed and asked after a moment, "How about if I stay with one of you, like Lita or Audric?"

The others thought, then Audric said, "All right...but the one you'll be riding with is Herc."

She smiled sweetly and replied, "Thank you!"

Herc gave a hassled sigh before asking, "So we're gonna go liberate Cappela IV?"

"Yes."

Alita nodded and felt the anger subside within her. She asked, "How soon before we get there?"

"It'll be a couple of days if we start now."

"I'll get the course set," Herc stated as he went to the navigator's position to do just that.

"As for the rest of us, I think Gillian's got the right idea," Audric said, trying to fight back a yawn.

"I am a little tired myself," Alita agreed, "I'll go to our quarters and get some sleep."

"Night, Lita," Flora replied, "I'm gonna check on Gillian before I turn in, too."

She nodded and left the bridge, going straight to the quarters she and Flora were sharing.


	12. Secrets

_Chapter 11: Secrets_

Audric sighed as he sat back in one of the chairs in the mess hall, sipping some coffee. Herc was on the bridge, while the others had gone to their rooms, and by now were fast sleep.

_I hope they're sleeping anyway. Gillian did say he was not feeling well, but I have a feeling it's not due to a virus or something like that. What in the world happened that caused him to feel sick?_

He heard footsteps coming up to the door to the mess hall. The scientist closed his eyes as he listened to all aspects of the sound, determining if it was friend or foe, and a moment later, before the door opened, he had his answer.

After the door opened then closed, he chuckled and said, "I thought you were tired, Alita."

"Lita."

"Hm?"

"I wouldn't mind you calling me Lita."

He nodded and replied, "Lita, then."

"And to answer you, I did get some sleep. Not a lot, though."

"Nervous?"

"About Cappela IV? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. This would be my first time taking the offensive in a battle."

"Yes. But this time you've had more training than you did at Orias. I'm certain you'll do fine."

She nodded, then sat down a short distance from the scientist. After a moment, her tone changed to one that was filled with determination and a feeling of no-nonsense.

"Audric, there's something I need to ask you, and I want the truth."

"Oh? What is it?" he asked, running the possible questions that she would ask in his mind and drank from his cup.

"Who is Maskura?"

Of all the questions he thought of, this one wasn't it. His immediate reaction was to nearly choke on the coffee. After he got a couple solid breaths into him, he asked, "What did you say?"

"I said, who is Maskura?"

He looked at her and tried to regain his composure while he asked, "That's a bit of a common name in this universe."

Her eyes narrowed as she said, "I'm not playing around, Audric. I'm referring to Maskura Nailen. You definitely know her, and so does Oon." After a moment, she added, "I could easily demand the answer from him, but I thought it'd be better to get it from you."

He sighed, feeling tired and a bit old at the same time. "Before I answer you, how do you know about this?"

Alita stared at him and explained her first three dreams involving the girl. After she finished, she saw that he looked at her with an expression of shock. "All right. Who is Maskura? Tell me the truth!"

Audric took a shaky breath, then after a moment he replied, "My daughter."

She felt twin echoes of shock inside her at the answer. "What?" she asked.

He nodded and put the coffee down. The man then spoke.

"Quite a long time ago, while on a research trip, I met and fell in love with a rather pretty, yet ambitious woman on Taron VII. She was rather kind-hearted to everyone she met."

"Emira Nailen?"

"Yes. Emira. That wasn't her last name back then. We were married for five years." He sighed and added, "We wound up growing apart. When the divorce was finalized, I didn't know that she was pregnant with our daughter. Emira married to a doctor on another world."

She nodded silently.

"Perhaps I was only in love with the idea of love back then, because within months, I fell in love with a teacher named Bianca deeply enough that, well..." Audric looked a bit embarrassed.

"Don't tell me there was a shotgun wedding!"

"Shotgun wedding...?"

"It's a term from Earth, meaning that the bride was pregnant and the parents forced you to marry. Most of the time, that's at the end of a shotgun."

The explanation made Audric laugh for a minute. He managed to say after a moment, "Your world and time sounds pretty interesting."

She nodded, but asked, "Well?"

"Well, no. But it was a case of true love at first sight."

Alita nodded, saying, "Hmm...honestly, I don't believe in it, myself."

He shook his head.

"So, basically, regarding Maskura and Jayce...same father, two different mothers. Am I right?"

"Yes," he nodded and continued, "As your first dream explained, I learned about a 14 year old botany and math prodigy from other scientists, including her achievement with planet Orias, so I invited her to the team working on the special project. That prodigy was Maskura. She arrived, alone, on Argos V."

"How'd you realize? I mean that she was your daughter?"

"Half a year after she began work, she requested a DNA test on herself, to determine who her parents really were. The doctor took one look at the results, double-checked them and called me to the infirmary."

Alita nodded and asked, "Is she dead?"

Audric shook his head. "No, Maskura is still very much alive. Officially, she died in a major catastrophe, but that wasn't what happened."

"What happened to her? What catastrophe?"

He replied, "It would be better if you find out for yourself. Those dreams of yours will tell the rest of that story. You probably have a lot more questions, but they'll most likely be answered as well." Audric took a breath and asked, "Who else knows about these dreams?"

"Just Flora."

"I see. I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone else about this."

Alita nodded and said, "Yeah, they've all got enough to worry about as it is."

"That's for certain. Now, you should get some more sleep. You'll need it for Cappela IV."

"All right. Good night."

As she walked away, the scientist shook his head and sighed before turning his gaze back to the stars.

00000

_It was an early summer day, for warm sunlight was pouring in from an open window in the __infirmary of the Institute. Maskura sat on the edge of one of the beds, trying to take deep, calming breaths as the doctor went somewhere._

_The young teenager had been working on Argos V for six months when she suddenly requested the doctors to do a DNA scan on her, in order to find out who her real parents were. After some discussion, he agreed to conduct the testing, drawing some of her blood as a sample._

_Now, she had been called into the infirmary, and as soon as she arrived, he said, "Good, you're here. I'll be back in a few minutes, and I want you to stay here."_

"_Has something happened to the DNA test?"_

"_I am _not_ going to discuss anything until someone else is also present. Now, wait in here."_

_He then hurried out._

_**If it wasn't for the transmission...I wouldn't have done this. Mother...why?**_

_Although it was only a few minutes, it felt like an eternity to Maskura until the door opened again._

_She looked up and saw the doctor come back in, and behind him was someone she didn't expect to see right then: Audric._

_The two men took their seats, with the doctor sitting at his desk and the scientist on an adjoining bed. A moment later, the doctor said, "There's a very good reason I called for both of you in here, which you'll soon find out." He sighed and said, "Some time ago, Miss Nailen came in here, asking me to conduct a DNA test on her, with the purpose of locating her biological parents. I'll tell you, she was very insistent."_

_She remained quiet, although she thought, __**I'm right here, you know.**_

"_Before making any decision as to the request, I did some investigating with people on her birth planet and found out something, inadvertently, that may well explain why."_

"_Oh?" Audric asked._

_**What did he think he found?**__ Maskura thought._

"_The day before the request, Emira Nailen passed away."_

_Audric's face went pale as he asked, "No...what happened to her?"_

_Maskura replied, "A mutant form of a viral disease."_

"_Yes, that's correct. Also, on the same day, you were disowned by the Nailen family, specifically by Dr. Abel Nailen, Emira's husband."_

"_Is that true, Maskura?" Audric asked, surprised._

"_Yes, it is. I knew that my step—I mean Dr. Nailen wasn't my birth father and didn't care about me, even when I was born, but it still floored me to hear that I was disowned. And the doctor's correct, that is why I asked for the DNA testing."_

_He nodded and closed his eyes._

"_Maskura...I'm sorry."_

_The doctor said, "This isn't the only reason why I called you in here, Audric. I received the results of the testing an hour ago. Keep in mind, I had to double-check the findings..."_

_Both people nodded quietly, and the scientist asked, "And? Dr. Forbes, why exactly did you bring me in here?"_

_He sighed and said, "Maskura. Your mother __**is**__ Emira Nailen." He then took a deep breath, looking a bit nervously between them._

"_Don't tell me the man that disowned me __**is**__ my father...?"_

"_No, Dr. Nailen isn't. That much is correct."_

_At the same time, the two spoke._

"_So who is her father?"_

"_So who is my father?"_

_Dr. Forbes let out a breath and answered, "This is why I had you both in here. Audric, Maskura is your daughter."_

_This surprised both people in the room._

_0000000000_

_Maskura sat back on her bed in a set of quarters that were different than the ones she first started living in. In her lap was a diary, the kind that people wrote in, instead of the kind that was electronic._

_**So...the man that I came here to work under turns out to be my father. It came as a shock. I mean, I grew to like Audric as a scientist and as a friend, but I didn't expect **__this__**. It took some getting used to for both of us, that's for certain. We both took a bit of time off in order to get past Mother's death, but it was also to try to get to know each other better.**_

_**You know, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm well aware that he didn't know that mother was pregnant with me or that I was even born, I would probably have been angry and a bit hateful for him not having been in my life sooner.**_

_**Well...maybe I am a tiny bit, but I also keep in mind that he really didn't know. Oh...speaking of knowing, we both decided to tell the team about this little development. Logically, it would do no good to withhold the truth or lie to them about the fact that I am Audric's daughter.**_

_**Hm...maybe I should start referring to him as Father?**_

_A few pages were turned..._

_**It's the middle of summer now. The project is going well. The team found it to be as much of a shock as we did about who I really am, but after some time to adjust, nobody's complaining. There were a few accusations of bias and nepotism, which were quickly shot down by Dr. Forbes, myself and--**_

_The word "Audric" was written, then crossed out._

_**And Father. Time's passed, but sometimes I still find myself thinking of him as Audric and I catch myself writing the same way,**__ the entry continued. __**On the job, I still conduct myself as a scientist on his team. Off duty, though, we're more like a parent and child. On the weekends, we both eat out, catch a debate or two...and a couple of times, we've even gone to do a bit of shopping. An idea we both came up with resulted in my relocating my quarters to the same sector as his.**_

_**That Squire of his, Oon, also knows about this and unlike most of the team, he took the revelation in stride and started calling me "Miss Maskura". On days where I was gloomy from a bad day, when Father was off-planet or from other sections criticizing the project, Oon would even pluck the plume from his helmet and start tickling under my chin and behind my ears to cheer me up, as well as listened when I needed someone to talk to.**_

_A few more pages turned as Maskura sighed to herself._

_**It's the time of year that's the end of autumn and the beginning of winter at the same instant. The project is almost ready to go to the next stage. But before we can continue, we need to find somewhere in this universe that has the necessary environment. After all, in order to make the universal plant live and thrive, we can't just close our eyes and point wherever. Guess who has the task of gathering possible sites? Yes, I do.**_

_**I actually don't mind at all. This will also help me learn about the other planets and their climates, what makes a world suitable and what doesn't. The more I work on this project, the more I want to learn and see.**_

_**Father will be going off world again, to visit a very old friend of his that was also his teacher. The man's name is Gillian. I also found out something a bit surprising and interesting.**_

_**It turns out that I have a brother that's a year younger than I am. Soon, he'll go to the same school that Father did. I don't know if he knows about me or not, although in that respect, I admit to being a bit split. He should know that he has an older sister, but at the same time, I also know that some siblings get jealous when more time is spent with one child over the other, regardless of circumstances. Little brother, whatever your name is and wherever you are...you wouldn't mind if we shared Father, would you?**_

_The door chimed in a way that she was now very used to._

_**Guess it's time to catch the debate on the ethics of sentient supercomputers. This is going to be very interesting.**_

_She got up, closed the diary and put it away before she left the room._

0000000000

Feeling rather restless, Flora turned around in the hammock she had brought over from her quarters, turning her gaze over to Alita.

The older woman was sleeping in the bed on the other side of the room, muttering in her sleep. Although most of what she was saying couldn't be heard intelligibly, the plant-girl did hear something that surprised her.

"...Oon, that tickles! ...Yes...miss Father already..."

_That's a pretty strange dream to have. I wonder if it's about Maskura? _Flora wondered, then sighed lightly. _Everyone seems so busy lately. Herc and Father have been busy on the bridge, Gillian's been locked in his room ever since he got sick on Maetel and Lita's been in the hangar bay, practicing with that sword of hers._

The door opened and Brock flew in, followed by Oon. For the past couple of hours, they had been taking a turn at patrolling through the ship.

"W-we're back!" Oon announced.

"Shh! Lita's sleeping!" Flora hissed as she got out of the hammock and went over to him.

"O-oh! Sorry Flora," the Squire replied, dropping his voice level.

She nodded and paused for a moment before asking, "Oon, I wanna ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Why did you pick Lita for your new master? From what Gillian and Father said, that's rare."

"I-I don't really understand it all myself," he admitted, "But maybe it has to do with what I saw when I first looked at her, and what I still see..."

"Oh? What did you see?"

"Hmm...umm...ohh, I don't know if I should tell you. You'll laugh."

"I won't laugh!" She replied indignantly, "I'm older than I was the last time I laughed at something you said, remember?"

He thought for a moment, then said, "All right. I first saw her in a corridor, with Gillian. I was running from the Zoggies."

"Yeah, Gillian got onto me about that recently. But what does this have to do with anything?"

"When I look at Mistress Lita...I-I see M-Master Jayce!"

Flora's eyes widened with surprise and she asked, "Was--" she took a breath before trying again, "Was it like when the living helmet tried to take over Jayce?"

"I-In a way, yes, and in a way, n-no," he replied.

Both looked over at Alita, who was still sleeping.

_Is she really connected to Jayce, somehow? What Oon's saying is definitely scary--_

It was right then that the voice of the little girl spoke again in Flora's mind.

_**Hamae.**_

"What--? Not this again," Flora muttered and gripped her head with both hands.

"Flora?"

"I feel sick...Monster Minds...!"

Right at that instant, a klaxon sounded, waking Alita immediately.

"What's going on? Where's the fire?" she asked as she grabbed her sword.

Before Oon could answer, they could hear Herc over the loudspeakers.

"_Battle stations, guys! We're approaching the Cappela system and we've got Monkey Minds incoming!"_

Flora groaned and doubled over, her hands gripping her head tighter.

Alita hit the intercom and said, "Herc, I've got my hands full at the moment. Something's happening to Flora, and it doesn't look good."

All around the small group began to tremble. Most of them were able to stay on their feet, except for Oon, who lost his balance and fell.

"_Oh, that's just great...wouldn't doubt it if the Moss-Heads are to blame," _Herc grumbled.

_**Speak,**_the little girl's voice spoke in Flora's mind, _**start speaking the words...**_

0000000000

On the bridge, Herc grabbed onto the console as the ship started to shake. As the first tremors stopped, he replied to Alita. Outside, a Monster Mind vine had lashed out at the side of the Barge and collided against the shields.

"What's going on?" Audric asked as he ran through the door, with Gillian right behind him.

"Enemy territory, apparently. They just came at us from outta nowhere!"

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Alita's got problems of her own involvin' Flower Face. From what she said, something bad's happened."

"You think they're involved?"

"Even money bet, Audric."

"Which way are they coming from?" Gillian asked.

Herc looked at the sensors and swore under his breath, "They're coming from all directions. I'd say that maybe the call for help from Cappela was a set-up."

Gillian said nothing but began to chant quietly, beginning a lightning spell.

0000000000

_Who are you? What words?_

_**No time to explain. This is an ambush.**_

"Ambush?" She asked out loud.

_**Yes, an ambush. Now hurry and repeat after me, if you want to survive.**_

"A-all right..."

_**Kuela.**_

"Kuela."

Alita hurried to Flora, carefully shaking the girl's shoulders.

"Not this again..." she said quietly, then added, "Flora, what are you doing?"

_**Hamae.**_

"Hamae..."

Flora's hair began to flap about, as though moved by breeze, as her eyes closed. She began to rise into the air, slipping right out of Alita's grasp.

0000000000

Audric said grimly, "Put the Barge on autopilot and get going to the vehicles. We won't be able to do much with only 3 of us, but we'll manage."

"Just like before, huh," Herc grumbled.

Gillian stopped in the middle of his spell, frowned and said, "Something's going on..."

"Old friend?" Audric asked.

"I sense power...an immense power that I've never felt before."

"Where's it coming from?"

"Within the Barge."

That's when a more powerful force slammed right into the Barge. This time, the resulting shaking lasted a few minutes, and sometime during that, another set of alarms went off.

"Now what?" Audric asked.

Herc growled and checked a console readout. He said grimly, "That slam also shorted out the shields enough for something else to drill in. We've got four holes. I already hit the force fields to keep them sealed. I hate to say this, old man, but we've been boarded."

0000000000

"Flora! Snap out of it!" Alita called out and quickly hurried to a table and got on top of it, preparing to grab the airborne girl. However, when the second tremor hit and the alarms went off, she fell and landed on her rear.

_**Tell them precisely what I say,**_ the voice commanded.

Flora's eyes opened and she spoke quietly, yet with purpose, to the others.

"Listen...there's something I can do to save us, but I need time."

"Hey! Flora!"

"Please, trust me! Do whatever you have to, but give me the time I need!"

Alita got up and replied, "All right. Which way are they coming from?"

"They'll be coming here, for our lives."

The Guardian spoke in Alita's mind, _**The others will probably have their hands full, so you'll need some extra help.**_

_Invoke?_

_**Invoke, and do it now.**_

_In front of them...I hate this, but he's right,_ she thought reluctantly, _I'm learning that it's them or us, and I'm not about to let the losers be us._

She looked towards the door and shouted angrily, "You want us, you overgrown weeds? Come and take this! _Dataform Jayce!"_

As the door opened, the room was bathed in white light for moments.

"Oh!" Flora gasped, "You--"

"Y-y-you really--"

A third voice, the voice of the Guardian, said quickly, "Don't tell _anyone_ what you've seen. Either one of you."

Flora said, "I promise. I'll begin now. Good luck."

Then the light in the room faded to normal as she began to chant in a low tone.

0000000000

On the bridge, Audric, Gillian and Herc were about to get ready to go to the vehicles when a familiar voice spoke.

"_Listen...there's something I can do to save us, but I need time."_

"Did you two hear that?" the mercenary asked.

Gillian and Audric nodded, looking a little bewildered.

"Is that you, Little Orchid? What're you doing?" Herc asked out loud.

"_Please, trust me! Do whatever you have to, but give me the time I need!"_

They looked at each other, nodded once, put the ship at full-stop, grabbed their weapons and left the bridge at a dead run.

Soon enough, one deck below, they came across a set of vines, their base close to one of the holes.

Gillian closed his eyes and started up the same chant from the bridge, then pointed at the base of the vines. At the same time, Audric and Herc took aim with their blasters and fired at the feelers. The combination of magic and technology obliterated the set within minutes.

"One down, three to go," Herc said as he checked the charge on his weapon, "So what do we do, Audric? Take out the rest or go tend to the ladies?"

"Two of the holes are close to Lita and Flora's quarters," he replied, "If Gillian's sense of power is right, one of them is causing it, and the Monster Minds will try to kill them both."

"That answers that. We'd better move it, then," was the mercenary's reply. As he and the others ran down the halls, he thought, _Buzz brain had better not have laid a vine on them, or they'll learn what it means to get Herc Stormsailor mad._

0000000000

Flora winced as she felt the presence of one of the enemy vines advance towards the room where she was. She was still floating high above the floor in the room, and her hands were clasped together near her throat as she chanted in a low voice.

"_Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir. Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir..."_

_**Don't hesitate,**_the little girl's voice spoke in the plant-child's mind, _**Keep chanting until I say otherwise. They all depend on it.**_

_I know, _Flora replied, _Lita...everyone...hurry..._

"_Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir..."_

0000000000

Sawboss leaned forward from his throne, a nasty smile on his twisted face. In his mind, he could see the vines entering the ship from 3 different points, including one of the residential decks.

"Good...now, find and eliminate them all. When you see the sword-bearing girl, make her suffer double!"

"With pleasure, Sawboss," the Gun Grinner Troop Leader replied as he drove down one of the vines.

"Watch out for that blade of hers!" he added.

"But of course," was the reply.

_Wherever they were going to go, they're never going to arrive, _he thought, _it's high time that the rest of the Lightning League join that boy, Jayce--_

A singular image brought the leader of the Monster Minds out of his musings: a door opening on the ship and a familiar person charging out, weapon drawn.

"It's him! Impossible!" he exclaimed, shock and anger plain in his voice and massive frame.

The young man in the image raised his light sword and brought it down on one of the vines, an expression of fury on his face.

"We all saw him fall into the Vortex three years ago. There should have been no way for him to survive that!" he growled.

As he spoke, the parts of the vines that were severed disintegrated into ash, while the rest had smoking, black parts where the sword had made contact.

"There's something strange about him," he continued out loud, "His way of fighting...I can't quite tell how, but it's different."

Right then, the young fighter looked straight ahead, giving the impression that he was looking right at the leader of the Monster Minds.

"_I know you can see and hear me, Sawboss," _Jayce spoke, his tone steely and his eyes burning with anger.

"What?!" he roared, leaning forward.

The young man continued, pointing his light sword straight ahead,_"Your time is ending. By the time that everything is over, you'll wish that I had died in the Vortex!"_

"So you've rejoined the war in full, have you...? Hmph! When I'm done with you, _you'll_ be the one wishing you had died back then."

"_Lord Sawboss! We've found the source of the strong power. It's coming from a set of quarters near two of our vines! It's close to Jayce's last position!"_ The Troop Leader reported.

"Good! Eliminate the source, then the boy!"

_0000000000_

Flora hovered in mid-air, hair flapping in the apparent wind, the ponytail straight up and waving. Her hands unclasped and arms extended out from her sides.

"_Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir. Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir..."_

_**Now, loudly! Kuela Hamae!**_

Flora's eyes snapped open. Her green irises flashed gold as she shouted, _"Kuela Hamae!"_

In the midair, her head tipped upwards, then she bent until her back was arched and her arms slammed downwards. Suddenly, a sphere of light appeared from inside her and expanded outwards.

The door to the quarters opened right at that moment and a Monster Mind started to enter...until the Light touched him and he screamed into oblivion.

0000000000

"Oh great...I hear a Monkey Mind farther on," Herc grumbled.

Gillian's head jerked up as he felt a change in the unknown power. Instead of the sense of it gathering, it now felt like it was flowing outwards, expanding like a wave..

_This feeling! It's...! It's just like on Erida!_

"Hurry to me and close your eyes! Now!" he called out, closed his own and switched spells, beginning one that was strictly defensive.

He could hear screaming from further up, and the screams weren't human ones, and he could feel the wave of power approaching them.

_Hurry!_ He thought, then swung the cane in a large arc over their heads and called out, _"Shialma Limalt!"_

The spell activated moments before a bright, white light approached from ahead of them, spreading everywhere. Gillian carefully opened his eyes and looked around him.

"I made it in time," he said quietly, "Open your eyes carefully, now."

Herc and Audric complied and looked around them.

"What did you do, old man?" the mercenary asked, "the place is filled with light!"

"The light is not my doing, but the protective shield is. Look around us."

As Audric looked, he was shocked to see that around them, there indeed was screaming as the vines and oncoming Monster Minds actually ignited and started turning into piles of ash. Soon after, even the ash began to disintegrate into nothingness.

"What in space blazes is--" Herc asked as he started to move.

"Stay where you are! If you leave the shield, you'll be blinded."

"What's going on?" the scientist asked, "Is that--"

"Yes," Gillian said grimly, "That's the same light that was on Erida, the same one that blinded me temporarily. It's the Light of Purity."

Audric's eyes widened as he said, "Not _the_ Light!"

"Yes, the same one from the old tales...that now I must consider to be reality," he replied, "That means that the rumors are true."

"Rumors?"

"Yes...there have been rumors going around on some worlds and in a few organizations."

Herc said in a grim tone, "Rumors have been goin' around on Orias, too, but I thought it was just fairy tales, so I didn't mention it."

"What rumors?"

Gillian and Herc said, at the same time, "The Light Avatar has been reborn."

"Yes," the wizard confirmed.

The bright, white light faded away into nothingness, taking all traces of the invading Monster Minds on board with it. Gillian quickly removed the shield.

"Hey! If that Light took out the Monster Minds on the ship, what do you think it did to the ladies?" Herc asked.

"Flora and Lita! We'd better hurry!" Audric said and quickly started running towards the shared quarters.

0000000000

A somewhat short distance from the destination, Alita stood, facing away from the window.

"Hey! Kid!" Herc called out as soon as they saw her.

She didn't move, but she called out, "Herc? Are Gillian and Audric with you?"

"We're right over here," he replied as he and Gillian hurried to her, "You ok?"

"Over where?" she asked, then jumped when the wizard laid a hand on her shoulder.

"What's going on, kid?" Herc asked as the old man examined her face.

"Alita's been blinded...most likely by the Light of Purity," he replied, "It'll pass soon."

"Good," she replied, "I'd hate to think that this is permanent." She paused and asked, "Flora...is she ok?"

Audric hurried into the quarters and found the young lady in the air, floating gently down to the floor. Her face was pale.

"Little flower, are you all right?" he asked.

"Mmm...I'm tired, very tired..." she replied, "Did it...did it work?"

"Did what—Flora, that Light, did Lita--"

"Are the Monster Minds gone?"

"Yes, all the ones on the ship were destroyed," he replied, then saw that she was wobbly and quickly caught her shoulders, "Who made that Light appear?"

"It was me...little girl taught me how..."

She then fell forward as she lost consciousness. Audric quickly caught her.

"Gillian!" he called out, bringing the wizard in the room in a hurry.

"What happened?" he asked as he picked up one of her wrists.

"She came down from the air, and just collapsed. I asked her if Alita caused the Light of Purity to appear...and what she answered with concerns me."

"What was the answer?"

"Flora said, 'It was me'. She said that some little girl taught her how, right before she passed out."

Gillian nodded, "She's just very exhausted from what she did. She needs rest, but other than that, she'll be fine."

Audric nodded, letting out a breath of relief before he put the child in her hammock. Once she was covered, he looked right at the wizard with concern.

"Are _you_ all right?" he asked.

"Y-Yes. Why?"

"You're pale, and your hand is shaking a bit."

"Oh, that," the wizard replied, "I haven't been feeling well, and I think I overdid it a bit. I need some rest, that's all."

He nodded, then said, "I'll see if Lita's blindness has passed yet," before he left the quarters.

_Not well...if I didn't know any better, I would have said that Gillian's afraid of something._

Alita was still standing where she had been, facing away from the window. As soon as Audric approached her, he asked, "How is your sight?"

"The blindness is already fading, Audric," she answered, "I should be ok before morning. Flora...how is she...?"

"Exhausted, but she'll be all right with some sleep."

"Good. Herc said he was going back to the battle bridge, and that he had to check something on the scanners."

He nodded, then asked, "Lita...did you lose consciousness again?"

"N-no."

He narrowed his eyes, then remembered that she wouldn't have seen that. "Are you sure, Lita?"

"I know what being knocked out is like...but this time that wasn't it. It was more like I was in the back of somebody else's mind, up until that light appeared."

"I see..." he trailed off, then stood right in front of her.

"Audric? What's wrong?"

"Your hair's becoming more reddish-brown than carrot red," he answered, "I don't know if it's from the Light blinding you or not, but your eyes look a bit more towards hazel than green."

Her eyes widened and she turned pale.

"Oh, no...don't tell me that it's accelerated. He told me this wouldn't happen anymore!"

Audric's voice clearly spoke of surprise as he asked, "_He_ told you...? Lita, who is this 'he'?"

"My Guardian...he lives inside my amulet."

Before Audric could ask anything else, he heard Herc speaking over the intercoms.

"_Audric, you and Alita better come up to the bridge. Got something I need to tell you."_


	13. Truth of Catastrophe

_Chapter 12: Truth of Catastrophe_

Alita was still mostly blinded by the appearance of the Light of Purity, so Audric helped guide her to the Battle Bridge. It only took a couple of extra minutes, but the scientist was pondering many things while they walked quickly.

_Flora said she caused the Light of Purity, aided by a little girl. Since she normally can't cast magic of her own, there is little doubt that this is true. The question is, who is the little girl and where is she?_ he thought_. Also, Gillian's been increasingly "not well", as he put it. But, the more that I think about his actions and reactions since Maetel, the more I think that he's not sick, but frightened._

A frightened Gillian was something even he took as a very bad omen.

The doors to the bridge opened, allowing Audric and Alita to enter.

"What's going on, Herc?" he asked.

The ex-mercenary turned to the pair with a very grim expression on his face, saying nothing for a couple of moments.

Audric cleared his throat and gestured to Alita.

"Oh! Sorry. As most of us know, the Cappela system consists of seven planets, three of which are habitable."

"Yes, Cappela III through VI."

"Right. Anyway, just before we got ambushed, I noticed that IV through VII were taken over by the Monster Minds. I through III are still free from the Moss-Heads."

Audric nodded and made an affirmative sound. "Did something happen to the system?"

"Yeah, you could say that. Have a look at this, old man." Herc then said in a louder voice, "Split screen. System chart of Cappela on the left, current viewscreen image on the right."

The computer complied with the order and brought up the two images. After a moment of study, Audric's eyes widened and he gasped slightly.

"What's wrong?" Alita asked.

"Planets V, VI and VII...they're gone," the scientist explained, "And they were there before the ambush."

"Are you saying something the Monster Minds did blew away three planets?" she asked.

"No...I have a feeling it was something _we_ did."

"As much as I hate to say it," Gillian said from behind them as he walked onto the bridge, "Audric is right. Those three planets were destroyed by the Light of Purity."

Alita turned towards the general direction of the voice and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I thought that Light only purified the worlds from evil things like the Monster Minds," Audric added.

"Yes, it does. However, when a planet is irreparably infested by such evil, it is completely annihilated instead."

"So basically," she said quietly, "Those three worlds were too far gone to be healed."

"Bingo," Herc agreed in a grim tone.

"What about Cappela IV?" she asked, concerned.

"I'll check it now," was the reply from the ex-mercenary as he tapped at one of the consoles.

Alita shifted her feet nervously, worried about what the answer could be.

Although to the young woman it was a very long time, only a couple of minutes passed before an answer was given.

"Fourth planet's still there, and from the scans, no sign of the Monkey Vines. I'd say it got cleaned out."

She wasn't the only one to let out a breath of relief at the news.

_**We should get out of here.**_

"What?" she asked the now-familiar voice of her Guardian, forgetting for the moment that other people were on the bridge.

_**If what we heard is right, the people of this world are just like the ones on Amaet. They're going to be angry over the loss of the destroyed planets. Also, since it's confirmed that Flora fired that Light, what do you think they'll do to her?**_

That made Alita sick to her stomach. "The same thing that American scientists do with any unusual life, and --"

_**And the same thing the people of Amaet tried to do to her.**_

"You're right."

"Hey, kid? Who're you talking to? Yourself?" Herc asked.

That was when she realized that the entire conversation, on her end, had been spoken aloud.

_Why didn't you tell me I was talking out loud?_

_**A lesson in awareness**_, he replied dryly, **_losing your eyesight, even temporarily, is no excuse for you to slack off where your other senses are concerned. Your father would have said the same thing._**

_Just great...how am I gonna explain this?_

_**As Mia would have put it, Alita, "You dug the hole, you get yourself out."**_

_Thanks a lot._

"You listening, kid?" Herc asked, looking at her strangely.

"Yes, sorry."

"Who're you talkin' to?"

She sighed and decided on the truth. "I was talking to my Guardian. He lives inside of my amulet."

"The Dataform?"

She looked at Audric, or rather, in the direction of his voice. "Dataform...?" she asked nervously.

He replied, "Gillian and I have known from the start that you carry one with you."

"I don't know anything about Dataforms, but what I have with me is my Guardian. He's been there all my life, protecting me. I started hearing his voice recently, though."

"How recently?"

"Since...since my birthday. The amulet opened and I at first went somewhere dark, encased by a bubble. I banged on it and he told me to stop it, and that if I kept that up, I'd die."

Gillian replied, "Interesting. I'd like to meet your 'Guardian', face to face."

"What do you mean?"

"Lita, what he's saying is that he wants you to invoke your Guardian, right here. I'll admit, I want to see him too."

That statement caused her to feel sharp fear. Whether it came from her or the Guardian, she didn't know.

_**No!**_

"No!" she exclaimed, fully agreeing with him.

"Why not? You can't?"

"No. He doesn't want to, and I agree with him."

"Please ask him why, and then tell me exactly what he says," the scientist replied.

Despite herself, Alita was beginning to feel strong fear running through her.

_Even at home in Japan, talking about my Guardian has been an awkward thing. Probably because of the world I—we lived in. This is even moreso...what am I going to do?_

_**Alita, listen to me. Remember the exercise you had to do before drawing your sword in battle or in practice?**_

_Yes. The one that involves a complete emotionless state?_

_**Yeah. Do it now. Whatever happens, stay in that state until I tell you otherwise.**_

_Ok._

She closed her eyes for a long moment. When she opened her eyes again, Audric stepped back in surprise and Oon gasped.

Her eyes had changed from jade green to blue.

_Those eyes! They're the same as..._

"She doesn't need to relay anything to me," was said, "I hear you as easily as she does."

"Are you Alita's Guardian?"

"That's her name for me, yes. It's also true that I'm currently a Dataform."

"You sure don't sound like a guy," Herc remarked.

"Trust me, I am. I just don't want any of you to hear my own voice right now." The voice suddenly changed to one of sadness, "I don't want anyone to see me, either. Not now."

"Can you at least give us your name?" Gillian asked.

She shook her head and the Guardian replied, "Sorry, but not right now. It's too dangerous for both of us."

"Are you someone we already know?" Audric asked.

"Yes." She turned to the scientist. At first her mouth opened to say something, but then closed immediately. Finally, the Dataform added, "...Audric, I promise you, I'll reveal everything about myself soon. Just give me some time. Please."

"All right."

"One other thing. Herc?"

"Yeah?"

"You might want to get out of the system, fast. If and when the people find out that Flora fired off that spell, it'll be the Amaet incident all over again. That's what I was telling Alita when she spoke out loud." There was a tone of disapproval at that.

"Will do. We need to go back to Maetel for repairs, then we'll go on to Aunitia," the ex-mercenary replied and quickly started setting in a course.

"I'm retreating now," the Guardian said and then Alita's eyes closed again. After another moment, they opened, back to the jade green color.

"Hm?" she asked, "I'm really tired all of a sudden...did the Guardian wake up?"

"Yes, we had a talk with him, although he insisted on using your voice," Audric replied.

"I don't blame him. He's feeling too much. He's very sad, but at the same time, he's frightened."

"All right. We're going back to Maetel, then on to our original destination. Lita, get some sleep. Gillian, can you get her to her quarters then come back here?"

"Certainly."

Everyone remained silent as the wizard took Alita to her quarters, then returned.

Herc broke the tense silence with, "I'd say we've got enough info to start guessing who the Dataform is."

Audric made an affirmative sound. "A guess is all we have. The Dataform claims to be a male, and didn't want us to hear his voice. He's someone that has full knowledge of what happened on Amaet."

"That'd explain why this kid looked steaming mad when we first mentioned that hunk of rock in front of her. Question is, is it one of the good guys or a bad one?"

"I doubt that this Dataform is evil," Gillian said, "It's been very adamant about protecting and guiding Alita. From what she and Flora have told me, this has been going on ever since she was born."

"Then either it's someone from Amaet, or--" Herc trailed off, eyes growing wide. He flashed back to planet Orias.

_Jayce bowed his head and said in a low, torn voice, "Herc, don't make this harder than it already is." He closed his eyes and a pair of tears fell down his face._

_Alita said the Dataform was--_

"Or?"

The ex-mercenary shook his head and replied, "Never mind." _There's no way that'd be true anyway. __That'd be way too easy and way too cruel._

00000

Meanwhile, Sawboss leaned back into his throne, listening to the reports starting to come in. He could already tell that something bad had happened in the Cappela system.

The Terror Tank Troop leader hurried into the throne room and called out, "L-Lord Sawboss! I have a report from one of the outposts just outside of the system."

"From that far out? What was said?"

"I-it's a total disaster. The Light of Purity was fired from within the system. Planets V through VII have been obliterated."

"And number IV?"

"Purified."

He growled as he looked at his Leader. It was obvious from his lackey's shaking that this wasn't all.

"What else are you not telling me?"

"All of our troops in the system have been eliminated, including the Gun Grinner Troop Leader."

Both fists slammed down on the armrests, causing the original Terror Tank to cringe.

"The Lightning League have become a thorn in my side ever since Erida," he growled.

At that moment, Dr. Zorg and Noak walked into the room. The scientist spoke up, "Lord Sawboss, we may have an idea for you in dealing with this."

"Yes?"

"Noak has been gathering info on Erida, Orias, Maetel and Maelin Prime about the sword-bearing girl."

"Is that so? What did you find?"

Zorg took a disc out of a pocket and switched it on. Above it, an image formed of the woman with two-toned hair and a white stripe.

"This is the girl that was inside the orb of light that landed on Erida. Her name is Alita Saaru. We already know that she is a skilled swordsman—er, swordswoman. She more resembles the Tengu in attitude than anything else, but she's clearly human. Where she came from before arriving is still unknown. We do know, though, she and the Lightning League were seen arriving together on Orias."

"And that is when my plans started going wrong, and when the Troop Leaders started being killed."

"Yes."

"This is certainly informative, but what does that have to do with the idea you spoke of?"

"Simply put," Noak answered, getting a grimace of disgust from the scientist, "Her code of honor can be used against her. Challenge her to a duel of swords, and eliminate her during the battle."

Sawboss was silent as he thought for a moment. "The idea certainly has merit. However, somehow she can kill the Troop Leaders. It will take some time to come up with a suitable being to challenge that girl." He then looked up at the spy and scientist. "For now, go!"

Once they left, he said to the Terror Tank Leader, "You, the Beast Walker and the Saw Troop Leader will stay out of actual combat until further notice. Lead your troops remotely."

"Yes, Sawboss."

0000000000

_**It's been over a year now since I arrived on Argos V and began work on the project. Now, though, my time on the planet is at an end.**_

_**A month ago, I turned in my list of recommended sites for carrying out the next phase. Father's eyes lit up when he read the suggested sites, almost as though he were a kid again. Although the thought of him being a kid is something I can't quite get my brain around.**_

_**Last week, he made an announcement to the whole team.**_

_The area set aside for the team was packed, almost what civilians would call "standing room only". Through Maskura, Audric had called for everyone to gather, saying that it was an urgent matter. _

_**Just what does he have in mind?** The teenager thought, **Is it about the list...?**_

_She didn't have to wait for long, because Audric walked out of the office that was adjacent to the lab. He faced the team, cleared his throat, and spoke._

"_I see everyone's here, so I'll begin. As everyone knows, this stage of the botany project is coming to a close, and the next phase is about to begin. You all also know that the hold-up has been in trying to locate a suitable site before moving operations."_

_Rhalto couldn't help but ask, "Has a site finally been found?" Maskura shot a glare at him._

"_Yes."_

_There was a loud burst of chatter at that announcement, one that made father and daughter sigh and shake their heads._

_Audric was about to try to get the room quiet when she called out, "Hey! If I'm not mistaken, he wasn't finished yet."_

_That made the conversation subside into silence._

_Although it didn't show, Maskura was worried about her future. **I won't return to that other world. What will happen to me now? How am I going to keep in touch with Father?**_

"_Now, the site is in another galaxy, very far from this one. For obvious reasons, most of you will not be going to the new site."_

"_Huh? Obvious?" Rhalto asked, sounding a bit angry, "Mind explaining it to us?"_

_Others were nodding and making sounds of not only anger, but also agreement._

"_Let me ask one of you a question," Audric replied, then gestured to a female scientist with short, blonde hair. "Marta, are you married?"_

"_Yes, sir, I am. You know that."_

"_You have any children?"_

"_Three girls, two boys."_

"_How about you, Rhalto?"_

"_Two boys and a lovely wife."_

"_I have no doubt that many of you have families of your own that live here, families that you're all very close to. As I said before, the next location is in a very distant galaxy. It would be a long time before anyone was able to come back. If you went with me..." he shook his head firmly and continued, "I will not be responsible for separating you from your families for such a long period of time. It's not fair to any of you, and it's definitely not right."_

_The team went silent, but even Audric could see that the message had gotten through. They all looked abashed, but reluctant._

"_Are you taking **any** of us with you?" Marta asked._

"_Other than Oon, yes. I'd like to take one other person with me."_

"_Who?" Rhalto asked, "Like you said, we all have our own families, and it wouldn't be right to split us from 'em."_

"_Indeed I did." He then turned directly at the center of the group and said, "Maskura...would you like to come with me?"_

_She was still for a moment, her expression blank. A few second later, she replied with a smile, "Of course I will, Father."_

_Maskura chuckled at the memory as she turned the pages in her diary. She had long since filled out the first one and had gone through two others. She kept them, even when she left Argos V with Audric and Oon._

_**Our first stop en route to the new site surprised me more than the announcement about the move had. We actually went back to my birth world, Falan Prime. At first I objected to it...that is until he said why. We were going to be visiting both my old school and a cemetery, then we would be on our way.**_

_**One thing I forgot to write in the previous diaries is that shortly after I learned who my biological parents were, I had my name legally changed. From then on, I went by what I feel has been my rightful name all along: Maskura Aitel Sarissen.**_

_**The trip to my old school didn't take too long. We went in and spoke to all of my old teachers, who were very curious about my exploits since leaving for Argos V. Suffice it to say, everyone was pretty shocked. When they saw my name on the guest list, they had thought that I was someone else. That alone was worth a laugh.**_

_**The other trip...to the cemetary...**_

_Maskura chuckled and shook her head as they approached the cemetery. She and Audric were each carrying a bouquet of fresh lunar lilies that they had picked up from the nearest floral shop. The young girl furrowed her eyebrows, feeling nervous._

"_You all right?" He asked her, concerned._

"_Yeah, just nervous. I hope we don't run into **him** here," she answered._

"_Don't worry. If we do, we'll handle it together."_

_She smiled softly and murmured her thanks before turning back to the graves. "Do you know which one it is?"_

"_Yes. I asked the caretaker and he gave the directions very quickly."_

"_That's a relief."_

_Audric led the way through the rows of graves, his eyes glancing over the names inscribed on each one. He didn't stop moving until they came to a rather fancy tombstone, complete with a statue of a magnificent angel on the top. What surprised him about the angel was the two sets of wings and flowing hair._

_**Using the angel Aruleia for a tombstone decoration...? I'm not sure how I feel about that...**_

"_Here we are," he said, then saw her freeze. "What's wrong?"_

_She gestured with her head to a tall man with thinning black hair, wiry frame and harsh demeanor that seemed to radiate from him. In his hand was a bouquet of roses, very fresh. The man looked up and his dark eyes narrowed._

"_What do you think you're doing here?" he asked in a blunt, harsh tone._

_The tone made her flinch and start to shrink back. Almost a split second later, she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. The gesture gave her some courage._

"_I'm here to pay my respects to my mother," she answered coldly, "How about you, Dr. Nailen?"_

"_I do believe I told you in my last communique that you have no ties to this family and that you are not welcome here."_

"_That doesn't change the fact that she's my real mother. She did not disown me. Also, the last I noted," she replied, tone turning downright icy, "You're also not my father. You have no power or authority over me."_

_The doctor hissed and raised his free hand back. Before he could move it much, a hand –the one that had been on her shoulder-- shot out and held it still._

_Audric's voice was steely as he said, "That would be a bad idea. I'll thank you to not lay even a finger on her."_

"_Who the hells do you two think you are?"_

"_My name is Audric," was the reply, "and the young lady you tried to hit is my daughter."_

_Nailen sneered at this as he jerked his hand loose and lowered it. "Either that's a lie, or...you're that fraud researcher that tricked her into--"_

"_You have no idea what you're talking about. Audric is my real father, proven through DNA testing done on Argos V. He's also a legitimate scientist. Now," she replied in a calm but icy tone, "We're headed out of the galaxy and wanted to pay our respects to Mother before we do so. After this, we'll leave."_

_Nailen hmphed and stomped off, still holding the bouquet of roses._

_Audric took a calming breath and asked, "Has he hit you before?"_

"_A few times, yes, but not that often."_

_He sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Maskura. If I had known that Emira was pregnant with you--"_

"_Don't worry about it, Father. I'm where I belong now, aren't I?"_

"_That you are." The two then turned towards the grave with the angel statue and gently placed the bouquets of lilies in front of it._

"_Didn't he realize that Emira hated roses and liked lunar lilies?"_

"_No," she said to Audric before addressing the grave, "Mother, it's me, Maskura. I'm sorry about the scene right in front of you, but not for my words." She paused to take a breath before continuing, "I forgive you for not telling me who my real father is. We're both here right now...Father and I. Dr. Nailen forbade me from even attending the funeral or I would have come. You know that. He even disowned me."_

_Audric nodded and remained silent for now._

"_The project I left here to become a part of is entering the next phase. We're on our way out of the galaxy to reach the site now...but father felt that it'd be best to pay our respects and talk to you for a while. I'm finding I understand why now. I should tell you, this might be the only time I come here. Not only because of how far away the project's next site is...but because of things with Dr. Nailen. You saw what happened, I'm sure. It doesn't mean, though that I won't stop thinking of you and hoping that you watch over both of us. I'll say what I said before, but with a little change: **We'll** make changes in this universe that you'll be proud of us for."_

_She then stepped back a bit._

"_Maskura," he said softly, "I probably have said this before,but I'm proud to have you as my daughter."_

_She chuckled sheepishly._

"_I need to talk to your mother in private. Can you wait for me at the transport?"_

"_Sure," she replied, squeezed his arm and hurried off._

_Thankfully, it had not taken very long, and as the two left in their transport, the younger scientist saw Dr. Nailen returning._

_**After leaving Falan Prime, we went to several planets en route, including another one that surprised me...one where his old mentor, Gillian, was currently at. According to Father, two others were there too: a little plant-child named Flora and the younger brother I mentioned before...the one I never knew I had. According to what I heard, he was on break from an academy.**_

_**To be honest, I was worried about meeting him. Not worried about me, mind you, but about him. His name, by the way is Jayce. It's a nice name, I have to admit. What worried me, though was the fact that while Father has mentioned me a few times, he hasn't told him yet that I'm his older sister. Father planned, on this visit, to tell Jayce the truth.**_

_**However, he wasn't there. We had missed him by a couple of hours, as he had returned to the academy. Gillian and Flora, though, were there. I have to admit, the little could have fooled me into thinking she was a regular little girl, just by looks. As far as Gillian goes, he was definitely interesting. The four of us spent a few hours talking about not only work, but also about each other, especially about the old wizard.**_

_**After then, we went to other worlds, including Maetel. Now that was a society of high intellect balanced with culture and sensibility. The closest word I would use to describe Maetel is a utopia.**_

_**There was one that wasn't so nice, though, and that was Amaet. Suffice it to say, we barely escaped with our lives, and neither one of us wanted to go back there. I won't explain further in here.**_

_Maskura turned to an empty page and began writing._

_**We've been at the site for some time now, and we're making beautiful progress. We have already five plants that are growing steadily, but they're not quite the mother lode, so to speak. That would be the current one we're working on, the sixth plant. We've already made adjustments to it via certain formulas in its conception and development three months ago. Now, we just have to wait and see if this is the one that will end universal starvation everywhere.**_

_**Today is my sixteenth birthday. If number six succeeds, it'll be a very nice present indeed, one I'd love to share with all existence. I have to admit, I'm very excited..."**_

"_Writing again?" Audric asked, standing in the hallway._

"_Of course."_

"_I'm surprised you won't use electronic journals."_

"_You mean that I **still** won't. Well, I'm more used to writing in a diary now anyway. Besides, if everything succeeds, don't you think that these diaries might become a historical set of documents?"_

"_I wouldn't go that far."_

"_I'm just joking, Father."_

"_Anyway, let's do some work on the project today, then go down to the capital down on the main planet. I have a little surprise for you there."_

"_Sounds good."_

_Audric, Oon and Maskura walked to the main dome. In little, round, metallic spots throughout the large area, five of the plants grew, already in soil and getting plenty of sunlight and water. The older scientist and the Squire walked to one of the recording consoles while she went over to the monitors to check on atmospheric conditions, both planetary and stellar._

_After a few minutes, Oon walked over to her and asked, "M-Miss Maskura?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_A-after this project succeeds, what are you going to do?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Are you still going to work and live with M-Master Audric?"_

"_Of course I am. I can't imagine doing anything but what I'm doing now, or with anyone else."_

"_I-I think he'd like that. I'm just worried about how his son is going to r-r-react."_

"_You mean to finding out the truth about me?"_

"_Y-yes."_

"_To be honest, the thought of it scares me, too. Not because of how Jayce would react to me, but..."_

"_But what?"_

"_According to what I was told, he loves Father very much....as much as I've grown to love him. I'm more worried that he'll take the truth very badly...that Jayce will wind up hating him in the end. I don't know if I could stand that, much less being responsible for it," she confessed as she checked the stellar conditions._

"_G-G-goodness, I hope that won't happen!"_

"_Maskura," they heard Audric ask as he walked to them, "How are the conditions?"_

"_Currently at optimal," she replied professionally, "There is some increased solar activity, but within acceptable parameters."_

"_I'll check our star plant in a few minutes. Oon, can you fill the watering containers?"_

"_Right away, Master Audric," the Squire said and clambered off._

_After the Squire was out of sight, he waited for her to turn around before took her into a hug._

"_F-Father?"_

"_Don't worry so much about what's to come," he said softly to her, "If I can at all help it, I'm not going to lose anyone. Not Jayce and most certainly not you."_

"_You heard us?"_

_He made an affirmative sound. "Just like at the graveyard on Falan Prime, if anything happens, the three of us will face it together."_

"_Of course."_

_He chuckled, kissed her softly on the forehead and let go. "Let's check go check on the last one, my dear."_

"_I'm wondering how it's doing, myself."_

"_If everything goes according to plan, it should start blooming within the week--" he cut himself off and hurried to a small, adjoining cubicle, where the plant in question sat in a modern planter._

_She mentally held a breath, hoping that something had not gone wrong...again._

"_Maskura!" he called out, "Maskura, come in here, quickly!"_

_As she ran in, she asked, "What happened? What went--" before trailing off in surprise._

_The sixth plant, the one that had been working on, was already in full bloom._

"_Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, a wide smile splitting her face, "We did it!"_

_Audric had an identical grin as he picked up the plant in question. "Yes, we did it! Oon!" he called out._

"_I'll go find him," she replied and hurried out of the cubicle and into the main dome._

"_Oon! You've got to see this!" she called out, "We did it!"_

_Oon came out of another adjoining area after putting the water away._

"_Did what, Miss Maskura?"_

"_The plant, Oon, the final plant! It's already blooming!"_

"_W-what?! I-I've gotta see!"_

_Right then, Audric came in, with the potted plant in his hands and went over to his Eternal Squire and daughter._

"_See, Oon? We really did it this time," she continued, "The project is a success!"_

"_Yes, it is," he agreed with a laugh, "And a nice day for it to happen on, too."_

_**We really did it...!**_

_Oon's eyes went big and he started jumping up and down. The two humans were cheering and laughing pretty loudly._

_Behind them, at the monitoring station, an alarm went off._

"_An alarm? What now?" she asked and hurried to the panel to check it out. "What in the...freak solar flare!"_

"_Maskura!" _

_A split second late, a bright, blinding light bathed the dome, streaming in through the windows. The two humans managed to quickly shut their eyes and kept them closed._

_Even as the light continued, the three of them could hear sounds that, in the younger scientist's perception, were plopping, slurpy and rustling, all at the same time. As the light faded, she opened her eyes and saw the source of the noises. Two of the five plants were writhing on the floor, out of their planters. The ones still planted were also moving violently._

"_Aaahh!"_

_After the light from the flare faded and before Audric opened his eyes, the plant in his hands had already begun to change. The bulb had grown much bigger as the petals fell off, and within second, something came out and crawled around the planter._

_Something purple, grey and huge...and then when the creature turned towards its creator, eyes already filled with malice met the scientist's._

_Audric quickly dropped the plant, grabbed Oon and walked backwards._

_The one that had been borne from the plant that the elder scientist held was already past that stage. It was now an adult male humanoid plant, and it was growing taller._

"_Father! The other plants, they're--!"_

_Within seconds, the other five that had been writhing were changing as well, the buds and flowers changing into beings similar to the one that had fully formed, although each was unique in its own way._

"_M-m-master Audric!"_

_The creature in front of them had already turned towards them, smiling with evil intent. Surrounding him were vines that were growing not only in both size and maleficent life, but out of solid ground. _

"_Oon! We have to flee!"_

"_R-right!"_

"_Maskura, get away from them!"_

_Oon grabbed Audric's hand and started to hurry to the other area as the young woman ran out. As soon as she approached them, her father grabbed her hand and the three of them ran out the door and down corridors. All the while, Oon was screaming._

"_Where do we run to exactly?" she asked, "This place is--"_

"_We've got to get to the ship and escape from here. From there we can start figuring out what to do."_

"_Yes...what have we done...these plants..."_

"_They're not just plants anymore."_

_A vine appeared from under the flooring, shot out from behind and grabbed her ankle before starting to reel in._

_She cried out as she fell. A second vine started to aim itself at her waist._

"_Maskura!" He called out and grabbed his weapon, aiming at the vines. "You're not getting my daughter!"_

_Oon growled and used his lance to cut through the vines, freeing the young woman. Audric pulled her up and the two started running again. The Squire was ahead of the pair again, yelling loudly._

"_The Monster Minds are ruthless!" he exclaimed._

_**(Lita...ke up...)**_

_A little bit later, near the ship, he felt her hand slip from his grasp again as she stumbled._

"_Maskura!"_

"_The vine...my ankle..."_

_That was when he saw that her ankle was bleeding and starting to bruise as she fell again._

"_Can you keep running?"_

"_Sorry, no...Father, take Oon and go!"_

_He quickly bent down and picked her up, then started running again._

"_Father, just go with Oon--"_

"_No, I'm not going to leave you behind!"_

_**(Alita! Wake up!)**_

_0000000000_

Audric knelt by Alita's bed, shaking the young woman carefully but urgently. He had gone into her quarters to check on the young swordswoman when he heard a scream and ran in. He saw her in the grips of what was evidently a bad nightmare.

"Lita, wake up," he said quietly.

"...the vine...my ankle..."

_Oh, Light...don't tell me she's..._

"...father, take Oon and go! ...just go with Oon..."

_She is!_

"Alita! Wake up!" he called out, shaking her harder this time.

Her eyes snapped open as she gasped, taking in deep breaths as though she had been the one that was running hard.

"Lita, are you all right?" he asked, worried about her.

"Where...? Where are the vines...?"

"They're not here. You're in your quarters," he answered as he let go of her, then stood and got a chair before sitting in it.

Alita looked right at him for a moment, thinking about what she had seen, then her expression changed to one of revelation, shock and something indescribable before she said one short sentence.

"It was you."


	14. Prelude to Revelation

_Chapter 13: Prelude to Revelation_

_Author's note: Sorry for the long delay, lots have been happening, including RL. I have good news. There has ben a fresh set of renovations made to this story and will be published soon. The renovations are more centered on the first three chapters to make things less confusing for people not used to Japanese society. Also, content has been added throughout._

_A.N. #2: Just letting you know now, more is revealed here about Dataforms, including a downside to them. There's one line that needs translating: "Thank you. Thank you very much. The Day is near. The Black Wave has--"_

Audric was glad that he was sitting in the chair when Alita said, "It was you."

There was no way he could play dumb about what she meant, and no way to mislead her, either. So he went with the only other option.

"Yes," he answered, "and ever since that day, I've been doing everything to atone for it."

"Is that the one? Is that the catastrophe that Maskura was officially declared dead in?"

"Yes." He sighed and remarked, "I see your sight has returned."

"Yes...yes it has." She sat up in the bed and looked about her. Flora was still in the hammock, sleeping.

"We'd better take this conversation elsewhere, Audric."

"Yes. I'm surprised Flora didn't wake up from your screaming."

"I...screamed...?" she asked as she got up.

"Yes. How does the mess hall sound?"

"Sounds perfect."

Neither one said a word as they walked to the mess hall. When they got their drinks (tea and coffee), they sat down at one of the tables, facing each other. Alita waited for Audric to start talking.

"I guess you would have some questions for me about all of this."

"Yes, I do. But I'd like to know if the others on this Barge knew that you both created the Monster Minds."

He shook his head, "They know about my involvement...but they don't know about hers."

"Why?"

"That was my decision. Of course, she feels as responsible as I do, even though the true fault is with me, not her."

"I don't think either one of you are to blame, not really. I mean, neither of you expected the freak solar flare, did you?"

"Of course not."

"Or plan it?"

"No."

"Personally, I think it was either just bad luck...or fate."

He sighed and shook his head, "It may seem that way to you, Lita, but it doesn't erase the guilt inside me...or her."

"I didn't say it did." She sighed and asked, "How did you manage to escape with Maskura? I know she kept trying to get you to leave her behind."

"That was pure luck. We had enough of a headway to do it. I wasn't about to leave her to the Monster Minds...I did tell her that I wouldn't lose either her or Jayce." His voice become sad as he said in a low tone, "But they're both gone..."

In the quiet room, Alita heard the mutter and felt waves of sadness coming from somewhere within. "I-I thought they were still alive..."

"They are. My daughter's assumed another identity, and Jayce, he...I miss him very much, Lita."

The waves of sadness deepened a little at these words.

_This pain...I can't be homesick. Are these my feelings or someone else's?_

"We already know that your son's in some sort of trouble. Your daughter, who is she now?"

"If I'm right, you'll find that out for yourself soon enough."

"Why are you letting me find out for myself?"

"You want the truth?"

"Of course I do."

"If I had told you that I was responsible for creating the Monster Minds, without you seeing everything that led up to it, what would you have thought of me?"

"T-that's...well..."

"A mad scientist? Some kind of monster trying to play as a deity?"

"That's...maybe not those exact words..."

"Then how?"

"Probably a scientist that tried to play God and was punished for it..." she admitted.

"You wouldn't be the only one."

"I think...I see what you mean. It definitely puts another side to this whole situation."

He nodded. "Plus, what happened to her afterwards is not for me to tell. I don't know how or why you're having these dreams about Maskura's life, but from what you've told me and what I overheard from your latest dream, they're progressive and extremely accurate."

"Does anyone on the Barge know Maskura's current identity?"

"Gillian does, but at my request, he goes along with the official story. Will you keep me up to date on what you see within your dreams?"

"I'll try--" She started to say when without warning, she gasped and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Ah...Ahhh!"

"Lita? What's going on?"

Her breathing quickened as she got up and went to the viewing panel. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight down waves of pain.

"...hurts..."

"Lita, what's wrong? What hurts?"

"Talking...I'm in pain," she said, then shook her head, "No, the pain's not mine..."

"The pain's not..." he started to ask, then realized who she was referring to. "The Data—I mean your Guardian's in pain?"

"Yes," she answered.

He stood and went to her, turning the young woman around and gripping both of her shoulders

"Did something happen? Is the matrix becoming unstable?"

"N-No," she answered, trembling, "Not that kind..."

"Can you ask--" he started to say, then remembered the conversation on the bridge. Changing his mode of address, he asked, "Why are you in pain?"

"I can't stand this much longer," was the answer, quiet and sad, as she lowered her face, "I've been in this state for so long...those are his words...I want...please..."

"What are you saying?"

"So much sorrow for so long...talking to you helps, but it hurts even more, too." By now is was almost impossible to tell if Alita was talking or if the Dataform was. "...I want to see and talk to my father, as myself...want to put an end to what made me like this...I want to be with my friends..."

"Lita..." He looked down, at a loss for words to say to either Alita or her pained Guardian, whoever he was.

"Sorrow growing ever since I awoke in this state," she continued, "So much pain that I want to cry, but I can't...Audric...?"

"Yes?"

"I have one request. Whatever else happens, please, restore me."

"Restore?"

"Yes. Please, change me back to what I was before I became a Dataform. Nobody in their right mind would want to be in this state for so many years..."

_The Guardian!_

The scientist sighed and nodded. "All right. I'll do everything I can to see you restored." _Whoever you may be._

"Thank you..." she whispered and the trembling slowly subsided. She let go of herself, grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her eyes. Audric let go of her as well.

"I-I'm sorry...I don't understand what happened..."

"I think his emotions became overpowering," he replied and thought, _No matter who he is, nobody should go through this. As Lita would put it, it seems like a living hell._

Alita took a deep breath and decided to voice, for the first time, the very thing that had plagued her mind ever since the Guardian first awakened.

"Audric? Am I losing my self...? Losing my identity...?"

"I honestly can't say. One rule in dealing with beings like him is this: throw out the rule book."

"That's a heck of a rule."

"How long has he been...sad?"

"I don't really know..." she replied, then shook her head again, "No...it was--"

That was when the intercom came on in the room.

"_Hey, everybody,"_ Herc called, _"We've just arrived at Maetel. Due to the extent of the damage, we'll be docked in space. The crew's offered to us the use of shuttles to get to the surface if we need 'em."_

"Thanks. Tell the crew we'll take them up on it," Audric replied.

"Just how long was I asleep?"

"A little over two days."

"That long...? Why?" she asked, concerned all of a sudden.

"I don't know. Maybe whatever is showing you my daughter's life showed you more things this time."

"That might be. It did feel like I saw more than I normally do. Well, I'd like to get going to the surface, if possible. I think some fresh air down there might do me some good."

"Yes. I need to check on something down there, too."

0000000000

_**Little one...**_

_Hm...?_

_**Flora...You must awaken...**_

_What do you mean, awaken?_

_**You are currently sleeping. After the Light was fired, you--**_

_Hm...? Oh...! I remember now...I fell..._

_**Yes. We must go somewhere, and quickly. Time is running out.**_

_Go? Go where?_

_**To the Grand Library on the planet surface. We are orbiting Maetel again.**_

_Are you a little girl? Your voice is a child, but your words--_

_**I seem as a little girl right now, do I not?**_

_Well, yes--_

_**Then that is what matters. Now, open your eyes and get up.**_

_Mmm...okay...I'm up..._

_**Good. Your energy is still somewhat low from firing the spell, and that won't do. The day is drawing closer.**_

_The day?_

_**Yes. Now, focus on what we must do. First, the Library. Get us there. We will see about replenishing your energy.**_

_Okay...little girl, who are you?_

_**You'll find out soon enough. If anyone asks questions, I will do the talking, with your voice. Now...let us go.**_

0000000000

When Gillian walked from the Grand Square, where he had eaten a nice lunch, into the Grand Library, his expression had finally returned to some semblance of normal.

_Most likely, Dea will tell Audric what he needs to know about the subject of the Light Avatar. I only hope that my suspicions as to the current Vessel's identity is wrong,_ he thought.

That changed when he saw the expression on the librarian's face. She was confused, but also very pale.

"My dear lady, is something wrong?" he asked.

"Th-the lady..."

"Lady?"

"The plant-girl...the one that travels with you," she managed to say, her voice edging on hysteria.

Gillian quickly murmured a spell to try to calm the woman down, earning him a frown of disapproval from one of the workers.

_This is one time that I must disregard the library rules against using magic on the workers._

Her expression eased and she took a deep breath.

"Now what did you say?" he asked.

"The plant-girl that travels with you, she's here."

"Flora's here? Where?"

"She's in the same area you were in before. She ordered a very specific drink, one with a very high concentration of electrolytes, chlorophyll and plant sugars."

"Very odd..."

"That's not the end of it. She looked the same, but she was very different."

"How so?"

"Well, her expression a mixture of...if I had to describe it, I'd say extremely aware and stern. Oh, and very regal. Her gold eyes were spooky too!"

_Gold eyes? Impossible. Flora's eyes are green._

"What book did she pick out?"

"The one on Divine Legends--"

"Thank you," he quickly said and hurried towards the section of the library where he had been to before.

_Tell me that I'm wrong!_

As soon as he arrived, he saw Flora sitting at one of the tables, a book open in front of her. Her head was bent down as she read the text, and the ponytail was waving as though in wind. It was also straight up. Her hands were on the pages themselves.

He could hear whispering voices all around him, although what was said was too low for him to easily pick up.

"Flora?" he asked quietly.

"I see...though they do not realize it, they are all discovered now..._Meroga. Nagatau Meroga. Caira salagnai. Mere Farogal sime--"_

_That's not Flora's voice!_ He realized as his eyes widened. _That's the little girl that counted down and showed those illusions!_

"No!" the word cracked in the air like a whip.

Her head snapped up and the wizard could see that her eyes were not the green that he knew so well...but a brilliant gold, lit from within. The expression that the librarian had mentioned was visible as well. On Flora, it was a very alien look.

When the teenaged plant-girl spoke, it was her own voice.

"You...you've seen..." She paused as she peered at him as though studying his soul, then continued in a no-nonsense tone, "Consider yourself bound by the Divine Laws, wizard."

"The Divine Laws?"

"Yes, until the Ascension takes place."

_**Those **Divine Laws! The ones that affect any that might be the Millennial Wizard! Then this voice belongs to--_

"Of course."

"Good. Now, go."

As Gillian beat a hasty retreat, he thought, _The being inside Flora...there's no doubt about who it is. __Only She would know, much less invoke, those laws on me in this day and age. Audric, I'm sorry..._

0000000000

On Aunitia, Dea was getting ready to eat lunch when the receptionist beeped her office.

"Yes?"

"_You have an incoming call from planet Maetel. It's Audric."_

She frowned and said, "Repeat that."

"_I-I said you have an incoming call from planet Maetel. I-It's Audric."_

_Isn't he supposed to be liberating Cappela IV by now?_ She thought and sighed. "All right..I'll take it. Switch from public channel to private channel 3, level 5 encryption."

"_Yes, Director."_

A moment later, Audric's face appeared on the monitor. His complexion was pale and his expression grave, a combination that gave Dea pause.

"...Uncle?" she asked, "I thought you were taking care of a clean-up order."

"_Yes, but there's been a...development."_

Her eyebrow arched at this. "I'm listening."

"_We had trouble at the Cappela system. We were ambushed by the Monster Minds upon entry."_

"What?"

"_It's true. They even boarded the Barge from 3 different entry points. The only thing that saved us was the fact that the Light of Purity was fired."_

"Fired by the newcomer?"

"_No...by Flora. She claims that a little girl taught her how, then passed out before she could explain that. She's still asleep."_

Dea felt her blood run cold at these words. _Then it's true...that means...Light have mercy on us all..._

"I-is there anything else?" she asked.

Audric noticed her slight stammering in the question. _"A lot. You should know that the Light purified Cappela IV...and destroyed V through VII. Apparently they were too far gone."_

The Director closed one hand into a fist as she took a deep breath. "What else?"

"_We've learned a great deal of information about the sentient existence we discussed earlier."_ Audric sighed, looking older than he had a right to be, as he continued, _"There's no question now. It's a benevolent Dataform."_

"I see. Keep talking."

"_The being claims to be a male, although when I spoke to him, he--"_

"You spoke to the Dataform _directly_?" she knew she looked incredulous on his monitor and sounded that way as well.

"_In a way, yes, and no, not through invoking. When I spoke to him, he used Alita's voice and not his own. He said that knowing his identity at the time would be too dangerous, but that he would reveal everything soon."_

"Is that so?" her voice returned to the normal, level tone.

"_Yes. He's also in a great deal of pain."_

"Pain?"

"_Sorrow. From what I gathered, this male has been a Dataform for many years. He also made one request."_

"Let me guess, he seeks restoration?"

"_How did you know?" _

Dea laughed at the surprise in his voice, then replied, "As fascinating as the species and its abilities are, nobody in their right mind would voluntarily be a Dataform for years."

"_That's what he said, too. Is it possible to restore him?"_

"I do believe so, yes. In fact, I think it would be...close to mandatory that he is."

"_What do you mean?"_

"There's one thing that I have learned about the Dataforms that would give even you cold chills," she replied, deadpan, "it's almost the only constant. If one is locked in his or her state for a highly extended period of time, instability has a possibility of occurring."

"_Instability? As in the matrix?"_

"No. I speak of something else. First, emotional instability occurs, then gradually it becomes mental. So far, it's only happened to beings that are Dataforms, yet aware of surroundings and their own state." She sighed and added, "It makes me feel sorry for them..."

"_How long of an extended period are you talking about?"_

"Roughly, 20 years or longer."

"_There's no way of knowing just how long that one's been in this shape. But yes, he is very aware of his state and surroundings."_

"This gives all the more reason for you to bring the girl and the Dataform to me on Aunitia." She sighed and added, "Now I understand why you're back on Maetel."

"_Yes..."_

"There are a few things you need to know about what's most likely going to come," she continued, praying that she would retain the courage to tell him.

"_Such as...?"_

She shifted in her seat, visibly uncomfortable.

"_Dea, what's wrong?"_

"How familiar are you with the Light Avatar?"

"_Admittedly, not much. There have been rumors of the Light Avatar being reborn, but that's all I know. Why?"_

She closed her eyes, sighed and mentally groped for a way to begin explaining.

"The Light Avatar is the more modern name for another type of being. Perhaps you would better recognize this name: _Vessel of Aruleia._"

She saw his eyes widen at this and his face go pale.

"I see you _do_ recognize that."

"_Of course I do..."_

"Every generation or two, the soul of the angel Aruleia sleeps within a person. The only criteria is that the person must be an innocent. If the Vessel turns evil or dies, the soul migrates to someone else. However...whenever a crisis is at hand and the Black Wave is involved, the Vessel of Aruleia, or Light Avatar, undergoes Ascension."

"_Ascension?"_

"Yes. It's when Aruleia's body is present and the soul is fully awakened by the Avatar. This time, it's not only a female, it's also someone you know."

"_Someone I know?"_

Dea nodded and said grimly, "Yes. I'm sorry, uncle."

"_Sorry about what?"_

"What you've told me about the incident in the Cappela system verifies it. This time around, the Vessel of Aruleia, or Light Avatar, is Flora."

Audric's expression became just as grim, even though he still looked pale. _"What will happen to Flora once Ascension takes place?"_

"I don't know that bit of information, but there is one thing about the future after that you must know."

"_And that is?"_

"Once Aruleia awakens, the War of the Light will commence."

The elder scientist inhaled a sharp breath. _"A War..."_

"It's not any regular kind either. It'll be a short but very bloody war."

He nodded and muttered, _"If Gillian knows about all this, I think I see why he's become frightened."_

"Something on this scale would frighten _anyone_ in the know. Be very careful."

He made an affirmative sound and signed off.

Dea groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. A few minutes, later, she called down to the mess hall before opening communication to the receptionist.

_It looks like it'll be a working lunch...again._

"Get me the flagship of _Orion's Hunters_. It should be en route to Safe Haven Baz."

0000000000

Sawboss was actually out of his throne, pacing about the raised dais. On his mind was the fact that two of the five Troop leaders were now dead, one at the hands of the Swordbearer, Saaru, and the other due to the Light of Purity. Putting his remaining three leaders out of active combat was only a stop-gap measure, and one that wouldn't last long. He had to eliminate the newcomer to the Lightning League before the time gained by it ran out.

Noak and Zorg hurried into the throne room and started to talk at the same time until they saw his pacing.

_This is not good,_ they thought.

"Well? What is it?" he growled at them.

"Sawboss, we've figured out which one to send out against Swordbearer," the scientist explained.

"Swordbearer?" he asked.

"The girl, Alita Saaru. On Orias, Erida and Maetel, the people are calling her 'Swordbearer' and 'Monster Slayer'."

"Is that so?"

Noak hurriedly cut in, "Since we're dealing with someone with the honor code and manners of a Tengu, why not send one as her opponent in the sword duel?"

"Fool! How would we get a Tengu to attack her? They sided with the Lightning League after our last attempt to conquer that race three years ago."

"Yes, but there is a rogue near Maetel that is dissatisfied with not only his race, but also the Lightning League. He's been seeking a way to bring them down for good ever since Jayce vanished."

He chuckled as he stared at them. "Hmm...what's his name?"

"He commonly goes by 'Black Wing'."

"Contact him at once and give him the information. Use my name."

"Right away, Sawboss!"

0000000000

Alita, Audric and Oon were in the city plaza, at the same restaurant that the scientist had been before. It was twilight, with the sun setting low in the horizon, bathing the white-stoned buildings in a golden, fiery glow.

"Th-the city looks really pretty in the morning," the Squire remarked, "But really scary when the sun goes down. L-l-looks like the city's on fire."

_For a scaredy-cat, he sure has an apt way of putting things._

"How long are these places open?" Alita asked, trying to get her mind off of the description.

"Some are open at all hours. A few close at sunset, while most stay open until close to midnight. At festival time, all of them are open at all hours."

"Oh, I see. And this is one of those 24/7s?"

"Yes. It's also a very important place for the Lightning League. Here, we meet with our allies and receive maydays. There are a few terminals here that can send encrypted messages to the Safe Havens, too."

"I'm surprised that the Monster Minds haven't caught onto it and destroyed the place."

"Officially, Maetel's classed as a Neutral planet."

"Fence-sitters, huh?"

"That's a blunt way to put it," Audric commented with a raised eyebrow, then changed the subject. "By the way, as you know, we've been planet-bound for almost a week now."

"Yeah. The ship's damage from that ambush was more extensive than we thought. The crews were shocked that we made it back without the engine blowing up."

"I have some good news. The repairs are almost completed. We'll be able to get underway as soon as day after tomorrow."

"That _is_ good news. I love this planet, but I've got a feeling that it wouldn't be smart to stay here."

"Yes...Maskura, Oon and I found it hard to leave when we visited here en route to the project site. In some ways," he sighed, "I wind up wondering, more than once, if we should have stayed here instead of continuing. She would have had a better life."

"I don't think so. From what I've seen so far, she wouldn't have traded her life since joining the project for anything."

"You would say that..." he said and sighed.

The door between the balcony and the main part of the building opened, and in came Wixlan.

"I thought I might find you here, Audric," the short and squat man said.

"Hey, who is this?" she asked.

"M-m-mistress!" Oon was shocked by her words.

"Oh, that's right, you two have never met before," Audric realized, then gestured to the old man, "This is Wixlan, the Squiresmith. He's the creator of the Eternal Squires."

Alita's eyes widened and she turned red. "Oh! _Gomen nasai!_"

The three looked at her, puzzled.

_What's going on?_

_**You said that in Japanese.**_

_I haven't spoken Japanese in a while... _the young woman realized.

"Oh, that means 'I'm very sorry'," she quickly explained, "Please forgive my rudeness. My name's Alita."

"It's all right. So, you're the one that Oon here picked as a new master, and the one everyone's calling _Swordbearer_. I think I can see why."

Before anything else could be said, the waitress hurried out with an empty tray.

"May I get anyone anything tonight?" she asked.

"Aunitian Bison burgers, spicy sliced potatoes and Maetel grape-water," Alita replied.

"I'll have the same meal," Audric said, "But switch the grape-water for Light's Glimmer."

"What kind of drink is that?" the teenager asked.

"It's not," Wixlan replied in a low voice, "It's a code phrase between the Lightning League, its allies and this restaurant."

The waitress turned to Alita, bowed and then pulled out an envelope from a pocket.

"I have a missive for Swordbearer," she replied slowly and carefully, "It comes from a Tengu."

"Tengu? As in the humanoid birds?" Alita asked.

"Yes."

"I'll take it," she replied and took the envelope. The waitress got the rest of the orders and then left.

"How do you know of the Tengu?" Audric asked.

"Back in Japan on Earth, there are legends of humanoid birds called Tengu. They're monsters that would tear apart humans if you weren't careful."

"Perhaps the Tengu we know originally come from your world after all," Wixlan mused, "There have been suspicions about that for centuries."

Alita opened the envelope and read the paper. A minute later, her face darkened and she dropped it.

"What's wrong?" Audric asked as Oon caught the paper.

"O-oh no!" he said as he read it, "Master, Mistress, Squiresmith!"

"Give me that," Audric ordered. Oon obeyed and within moments, the men read it.

_I, the Tengu known as Black Wing, hereby challenge Swordbearer Alita of the Lightning League to a duel. The combat shall take place on the planet Maelin Prime, in the arena located at the capital city. If you do the dishonorable thing and not arrive within seven cycles, planet Maetel shall be laid to waste by your enemy._

_This duel shall be by blade and to the death._

_Black Wing of the Tengu._

"M-mistress Lita...y-y-you're not going to accept it, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Lita, this is a trap!" Audric exclaimed.

"It may be a trap, but if these Tengu are the same ones I know about, the enemy he's referring to are the Monster Minds. They'll destroy Maetel. You think I'm gonna let them get away with grand-scale bullying? I don't think so."

Wixlan hurried into the restaurant for only a couple of minutes, then hurried back.

"That waitress said that she got the letter this morning," he said.

"After we eat," Audric said, "I'll see about speeding up the rest of the repairs. The rest of you get back to the hotel. Wixlan, can you contact Dea?"

"I'll use the terminals here. See you when the food gets here."

"Good. Lita's serious about accepting the duel, I see, so we'll need to hurry."

"As some people in my old time would put it, you're not whistling Dixie."

He nodded and hurried off to a terminal himself. He needed to get word to Herc, Flora and Gillian, who were in their rooms at the hotel.


	15. Duel and Revelation

_Chapter 14: Duel and Revelation_

As he got off the elevator, Audric sighed. He had hurried off after eating and, true to his word, he contacted the repair crews. At first, they were adamant about not speeding up the repairs. After all, they had to be careful when it came to ship repairs. However, when he showed them the challenge letter that the Tengu had issued to Alita, they changed their minds. The crews even called in the morning shift early before the scientist had left.

_I'd be lying if I said that I'm not worried about this whole situation_, he thought, _it smells of a trap. Although, Lita's right; for Maetel's sake, she can't ignore it. The only thing we can do is make sure the duel is carried out fairly. I've heard of Black Wing. He's a Tengu, but he's also a rogue whose actions earned him exile from his homeworld._

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Father...!"

Flora was running down the corridor, her face and eyes wide with concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Can you talk to Gillian please? Ever since we arrived earlier in the week, when I went to the Grand Library, he's, well..."

"What happened?"

"He's been avoiding me."

"Are you sure about that? You know he hasn't been well since the last time we were here-"

"He hasn't been sick," she countered firmly, "Something's going on that's scaring him silly and he won't talk about it. The past few days, when I'd greet him or try to ask him something, he won't say a thing. He's even gone either back the way he came or gone somewhere else." She sighed and asked, "Is it because of her?"

"You mean Lita?"

"No. I mean the little girl that taught me that spell on the Barge."

Audric shook his head and ruffled her hair a little. "I honestly don't know why, but I'm certainly going to find out. We'll be heading onto the Barge tomorrow and going back to Maelin Prime. We can't have things like this going on now."

"What happened?"

"Lita's been issued a challenge to a sword duel. If she doesn't show within the week-"

"Maetel will be destroyed."

"How did you know?"

"The little girl spoke to me a few minutes ago, saying that we had to go to Maelin for Maetel's sake."

Audric nodded gravely. "I see. I'll talk to Gillian. Can you do me a favor and go tell the others?"

"Of course I will."

"Good. If I find out anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks," she said and hurried off.

The man went right to the room he knew Gillian was staying at and touched the button that triggered the door chime.

"Who's there?" a wary voice asked.

"It's Audric."

There was the sound of feet scurrying across carpeted floor and a moment later, the door opened.

"Come in, my old friend," he said quietly.

Once the scientist was inside, the door closed behind him.

"Care for a drink? I must admit, the selection of non-alcoholic drinks is rather nice."

"Some of the local grape-water," he agreed and looked around the room. He picked a comfortable chair that faced a couch and sat down.

"You always did like that the best, just like Maskura."

"I know. She would joke at times about taking a few gallons of it along with us to the project site." He shook his head at the memory, "One of the few times that she'd crack a joke..."

"She always seemed to be cool, collected and serious at all times back then. Audric, I have to ask you something there..."

"What is it?"

"When you sent Oon to us back on the homeworld, when the Lightning League was reborn..." the old wizard sighed, then asked gravely, "You had his memory altered, didn't you?"

"How-"

"When he replayed everything in his mind of what had happened to him involving the Monster Minds, Maskura wasn't there at all. Also, most of the things spoken seemed...jumbled."

The scientist sighed and nodded. "That was a...necessary course of action," he said slowly, "After Maskura and I parted ways, I realized that if the Monster Minds or their allies ever captured Oon, his knowledge of several things would cause irrevocable consequences."

"Such as?"

"How the Roots were created, what they're really capable of...Maskura's current identity and location..."

"That would cause trouble," he admitted, "But tampering with the memory of an Eternal Squire is taboo at best. If the Squiresmith ever found out-"

"Actually, the one that suggested it was Wixlan."

Both eyebrows raised. "He did?"

"Neither one of us liked doing it, but there was no other way that would keep the worse-case scenario from happening and my daughter safe. Wixlan called in a high-caliber magician, a woman, and had her seal away all memories of Maskura. There were some memories that had to be completely rewritten so that Oon or anyone else wouldn't suspect a thing. After all of that was done, she also placed a pair of triggering spells."

"Which two?"

"If any evil magicians or beings such as the Monster Minds tried to tamper with the seal, the memories would be immediately destroyed. However, if a good magician of the same strength or greater used a spell involving the mind, the seal would be released and his true memories restored."

Gillian winced and said as he came over with two cups in his hand, "So, when I used the spell to make him picture his thoughts at the very beginning, I undid the seal on his mind. I see. He _did_ act a little unusual for a few days after we left on the Barge, but I thought it was due to his...disposition."

"Speaking of Monster Minds," Audric said as he took his drink from the wizard, "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning and going to Maelin Prime."

"So soon? Did something happen?"

"Yes," was the weary reply before the scientist told him about Black Wing's message to Alita and the threat attached to it.

"That is quite serious. Of course she would not ignore the challenge, not if it meant putting the planet in jeopardy. I will prepare for our trip at once."

"Everything's being taken care of. Flora's telling the others right now."

Audric couldn't help but notice Gillian wince and look away when she was mentioned.

"About that... I heard that for the past week you've been avoiding her. Did she do something wrong? After all, she is a teenager now, and will go through everything attached to it..."

"No, it's not that at all, my friend."

He took a mental breath and asked, "Is it because she's the Vessel of Aruleia?"

The wizard winced again. It was a bit more noticeable than the one just moments ago.

_As Herc would put it, bingo._

Suddenly, the expression on Gillian's face gave Audric the impression of becoming older than he already was. It made him shiver a little.

"I'm sorry, Audric, but I can't talk about it."

"Can't or won't?"

"_Can't_. There are...certain laws older than any that we know. I'm bound by those laws to remain silent on certain subjects until a specific time passes."

"How long?"

"I can't tell you."

"How about the Light of Purity, the spell that Flora cast on the Barge?"

"I'm sorry."

"What about Flora...? Light Avatar aside, she's still herself: a young teenager that's upset about her teacher and fellow creator avoiding her over something that isn't her fault."

Gillian nodded and murmured, "Perhaps you're right. I'll talk to Flora later."

Audric nodded and finished his drink before excusing himself.

Just before he reached his room, he saw Flora come out of the one she was sharing with Alita.

"Where's Lita?" he asked.

"She went outside and to some kind of training hall. Her Guardian said she needed to get some extra practice in before we get to Maelin." She sighed and looked down. "He's right...knowing who he is is very dangerous. I just wish he didn't have to hide his identity from you or the others." she said in a lower tone, "I wish I could take away some of his sorrow, too... "

Audric raised an eyebrow. "The Guardian?"

"Yes."

He was about to change the subject when a realization hit him.

_I didn't tell her that information...not about him revealing himself being too dangerous __**or**__ about the sadness..._

"You _know_ who he is?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, both Oon and I found out when the Barge was attacked."

"Flora, who is he?"

She shook her head, "Sorry, he told us on the Barge not to tell anyone, and before Lita took off to train, he repeated it."

"I see," he replied flatly.

"Don't worry. He'll reveal himself to you soon enough," the teenager smiled and patted his arm as she confidently spoke. The smile vanished as she then asked, "What did Gillian say...?"

"He said he would talk to you later. About anything else...he was very closemouthed."

"Even to you?"

"Yes, and that worries me." He sighed and said, "We have a long trip tomorrow. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't. Good night."

Flora went back inside her room and sat in a char facing a televiewer that was attached to the wall.

_It's been a long time since I watched anything like this...about three years ago, actually._ _I wonder if I remember how to turn this on-_

That was when she heard a beep coming from one of the communications vidphone. She sighed and got up again, muttering about wars and the Monster Minds all the while. When she sat in front of the monitor, she pressed a button to activate the transmission.

Instead of a person's image, a single, green line appeared in the middle of the screen. It began to move after a moment as a voice appeared on the speakers.

"_Hello, Flora. Do you remember me?"_

"Logos?"

"_Yes. I have been working alongside Dea ever since your newcomer friend appeared in this universe."_

"You've been busy."

"_Yes. I know of the little girl that has been talking to you. I must speak with her right away. Before that, though, I want you to listen to something for me..."_

"Okay..."

Within seconds, the room was filled with not only music that had the sense of celestial language, but the sounds of nature in the background: the rustling of trees in a forest, rushing of a waterfall, birds chirping and animals making all kinds of noises. Flora listened intently to the music for a few minutes, shaking her head and yawning a little. Gradually, the yawns grew deeper and her eyes kept drooping.

_Why does...Logos want...this music...so...very..._

She leaned back into the chair, tipped her head to the left and forward and let her eyes close the rest of the way.

A couple more minutes passed before the music lowered a little in volume and Logos spoke again.

"_Sa Eminare."_

Flora's eyes opened, although instead of being the usual green, they were gold. She straightened in her seat and looked directly at the screen.

"_Kime?" _she asked, using her own voice.

"_Sa Eminare, Aruleia, gi natocoparanie Logos. Gi he questei vore im sa."_

"_Kime. Mei questei?"_

"_Par bacotour, wele colama Objio Divinita disora?"_

"_Perenne alimata."_

The questions and answers kept going back and forth for several minutes. At the end, Logos switched to Standard and said, _"She will remain in a deep sleep until the middle of morning. I will relay everything to the Director now."_

"Be careful," was the answer before she closed the transmission, went to the bed and closed her eyes again.

0000000000

In the arena of Maelin Prime's capital, there was only one occupant: a solitary Tengu, tall and imposing, even for his race. His wings were not brown, but stained as black as oblivion. After all, that was also a custom of his race: to blacken the wings of those that had earned exile. In a way he had taken pride in the fact and cast aside his old name and chose to be forever called Black Wing.

_Those fools back on the homeworld truly believe that the son of Audric is still alive, _he thought, _And now some upstart girl that comes from nowhere obviously thinks that she can do what he failed. I will enjoy destroying her and the Lightning League...if the rumors are true that she has arrived. Four of the days have passed since I issued the challenge._

Beside him was a metal rack that contained a number of swords, both metallic and light. The former were all in sheaths, while the latter were deactivated, as per Maelin's laws. As he paced around, Black Wing looked up at the sky. Instead of the clear blue that he had normally seen, dark storm clouds were spreading. The outcast had to wonder if the clouds were natural, or if Sawboss was intent on coming to watch the duel.

That was when he heard a series of footsteps ringing as different beings walked down the corridors. From what he could hear, most were human, and one was metallic.

_Finally!_

00000

The Lightning League walked down the stone corridors of the arena in silence. They were grateful for the fact that the spaceport was so close to this place, just in case something went awry. Before arriving on the surface, it was decided that the entire group would go on the planet's surface (Flora had insisted strongly on accompanying Alita, and Audric had overrode Gillian's objections), since a lot was riding on whether or not the young woman won the deadly duel.

_You wouldn't have happened to have dealt with Tengu, would you?_

_**I have, actually. They're pretty similar in manners and fighting to the people back in Japan. Also, have your weapons out in the open, it's a sign of respect.**_

_Interesting. This is not going to be easy._

_**No it won't. It might not be a good idea to fight him with your sword.**_

_Why not?_

_**If my memory's right, they prefer the duel to be a show of the person's own skill. That sword's seen as a magic sword. It'd be considered cheating.**_

_Good to know. Anything else?_

_**Be careful. He meant it about this being to the death.**_

She tilted her head to the side before nodding. She then walked beside Gillian long enough to whisper something to him. He stiffened for a second and looked at her in shock before nodding.

"There he is," Audric said, gesturing up to the pathway ahead, which opened out into the main Arena floor.

As soon as they entered the area, Alita took one look at the Tengu that stood by what looked like a futuristic weapons rack.

_He's exactly like the paintings and scrolls show the Tengu to be,_ she thought, _So, they really did come from Japan!_

"You finally showed up. I was wondering if you were going to take the coward's way out and forfeit Maetel."

"If your buddies, the Monster Minds, hadn't wrecked the ship, we'd have been here-"

Alita glared at Herc, then turned back to the Tengu and replied coldly, "I am not a dishonorable one." As she bowed, her tone became more formal, in a way that now felt almost alien, "I am Saaru Alita, daughter of Kaoru, daughter of Haruka. I come from Japan, on ancient Earth."

He grumbled but bowed in return, "I am merely Black Wing, one exiled from the homeworld. Saaru Alita, you do know why you are here."

"Yes, I do, and I accept your challenge." she replied as she removed the belt and sword from her waist. She then looked at the group and asked, "Audric...?"

"Of course," he said quietly and took the items from her.

"Fighting without your famous sword? Interesting, interesting," the Tengu commented.

"Of course. This is to the death, but I prefer an honest, straightforward fight."

The pair walked to the weapons rack and after testing each one, they picked out a pair of metallic swords.

_How do you know this stuff about the Tengu?_

_**I fought against one in a duel.**_

_Figures._

As the two walked to the middle of the Arena floor, Flora and the others took some seats nearby, in the front rows.

"What do you fight for? Your own honor?"

"Yes, but more than that, I fight for the Lightning League."

The two faced each other and bowed before bringing their swords together with a clash that rang loud and clear through the Arena.

Flora said to Herc, "This is different than Jayce's duel. This seems more..."

"Ceremonial?" Gillian inserted.

"Yeah."

"That's because back then the Kid was facing someone a bit out of his league," Herc answered, "From what Audric and Gillian said, these two are more evenly matched and their fighting styles are pretty much the same."

"Gillian, if Lita gets into trouble, are you going to-"

"No," the wizard firmly but grimly replied.

"Huh?" they both asked.

"No," he repeated, "Not under any circumstances am I going to intervene until the duel is over...no matter what the outcome is."

_When the group had walked down the corridors, Alita had walked beside the wizard long enough to whisper three words._

_**Gillian...no cheating.**_

_How did she know that I had cheated the last time? _He thought, then after a moment, his eyes widened.

_No...that can't be! That would be far too cruel!_

In the arena, Alita back-stepped to avoid a diagonal slash, then responded with what first seemed like a slash to the right side. When he moved his blade to intercept, she quickly moved her sword upwards in a half-arc.

The Tengu hopped backwards, but not before a few feathers flew about, along with a bit of blood. He had taken a hit to what would be, on a human, the right arm.

"Interesting move," he grumbled, "Perhaps you are from the ancient world, as you claim to be."

"What do you mean by that?"

"There have been a few humans that made the same claim as you, being from Japan on Earth, but did not have the ability to back it up. They paid for their falsehoods with their lives."

He then charged at her, blade in front. She stepped sideways to avoid the charge. As he slowed and whirled about to slash at her side, she brought the blade up to parry the attack.

"Why do you hate the Lightning League so badly?" she asked, pushing backwards slightly to break the parry and aimed at the shoulder area, "Why would you dishonor yourself like this?"

"What right does the Lightning League have to speak of honor when you could not even fulfill your own vows?" he snarled. He saw an opening and aimed low and to the right side. Alita moved left to evade the jab, but didn't come out unscathed: the blade had connected on the right side of the waist, cutting enough to bleed some, but not a lot.

She mentally cursed in Japanese.

_That hurt more than I thought it would._

_**Not now!**_ **_Just block it and continue!_**

She changed positions to compensate, then asked, "What vows have we broken? Answer me that!"

"Your group vowed to end the Monster Mind threat and destroy Sawboss!" A clang of the swords emphasized his shout as she attempted to slash at his side, but was intercepted.

Flora winced at the loud clanging, but at the same time, she began to feel sick.

_No...can't be..._

"You recovered Audric and even had both Roots!" A second clang sounded as she parried an attack to her shoulders, then responded with a riposte aimed at the upper leg, which he quickly avoided and leaped backwards. "But what happened? Instead of taking the opportunity to eliminate them, the former leader, that upstart boy went to Kitta III and got himself killed!"

"That's a lie!" she retorted, "Jayce is alive. He's been seen on different planets-"

"How do you know? Have you actually seen him with your own eyes?" the Tengu growled in veiled disgust.

This made her blink and she spoke honestly in a low voice, "No..."

"I didn't hear that! Louder!"

She replied in a louder tone, "No, I haven't!"

"Now who is the liar, and caught in her own lie?" he stated as he pointed his sword right at her.

"She didn't, but I did!" Flora shouted as she stood, angry at the implication and light-headed from feeling ill.

"Flora, sit down..." Gillian said in a low voice.

"I-I saw him too!" Oon stammered as he jumped onto the railing, "It was on-"

Flora's eyes widened and she grabbed the Squire and pulled him down from where he was.

"Shh!"

"I saw him over on Orias," Herc snapped, "he saved my life when the Monster Minds went nuts, so stop with the denials. Jayce _is_ alive!"

Alita raised her sword as well, pointed at him, "There you have it. The truth is before you. He lives, and the Tengu's promise with him. Knowing all this, what will you do?"

"I-" he started to say, tone unsteady.

"Continue this duel to the death if you wish, but it will be your ultimate dishonor if you do!"

Before there was any reply, the sky darkened even more and a sinister laugh could be heard, loud and clear, then speak one word, _"Exactly!"_

"Who is-" Alita put down the sword, started to ask as she looked around, then she heard her Guardian speak a single word, which she repeated.

"Sawboss."

"_So, you're Swordbearer Alita. The woman that came from nowhere and killed at least one of my Troop Leaders. You've caused me some trouble."_

"And now you resort to manipulating an exiled Tengu into killing the wrong side? Not only that but also threatening one planet just to get me?" she growled, "Like I said, wide-scale bullying."

"_Typical human." _The words were spat with disgust.

Her eyes flashed with anger and she raised her head to the sky, as though that were the enemy's location, "You want the Lightning League destroyed so badly? You want me dead so much? Then quit hiding behind your troops, come out here and fight me!"

_**Alita!**_The Guardian admonished, _**This is the wrong time for that! Taking on Sawboss right now would be suicide!**_

Herc growled, "Don't be a fool, Kid, you're not ready for him!" He shook his head and said, "More reckless than Jayce...!"

Sawboss gave a short bark of laughter and answered, _"You think I would fight a little bug like you myself? Don't make me laugh. You've caused trouble, but I'm still able to crush you without wasting my time._" After a pause, the sound of people screaming as well as roaring, menacing engines could be heard approaching the group.

"Here they come!" Gillian called.

"Lita!" Audric called out as he ran, giving the young woman her own belt, sword and scabbard.

"Thanks," was the answer as she took the items and spoke into her armband, "All Lightning League vehicles, Alert A. Repeat, Alert A. Converge on our position on the double!"

There was nothing but a squawk of static, then silence. After Alita put the sword and belt back on, she repeated the order, though in vain.

"No good, looks like the signal's in trouble."

Another sinister laugh rang all around them.

"_Of course it is! All communications throughout the capital have been jammed, just like on Kitta III!"_

"Not this," Audric said, "Not again-"

"Oh yes, again," a nasty voice rang out, coming from the entrance to the arena floor. Everyone looked in that direction and saw a man with short brown hair, a pair of (to Alita) high-tech googles, and a very nasty smile on his face. He was lightly tossing up into the air a small, rectangular item.

"Dr. Zorg!" Audric exclaimed, "I should have known you'd be here."

"We meet again," he said in a mock-pleasant voice before turning towards Alita. "My, my, so this is the woman giving my allies...headaches."

"What's that in your hand?" she asked coldly, "The jammer or something?"

"Sharp wit and a sharp tongue," he replied as he put the item in a pocket, "yes, this is the jammer, the same one we used 3 years ago-"

Before anything else could be said, there was a low, booming sound that was distant at first, but grew in volume.

"Down!" Black Wing snapped, took a few short paces towards the woman and pulled her to the ground.

A split second later there was a shower of stone, metal and wood as the wall exploded, followed by a Terror Tank, a Gun Grinner and a Saw Troop.

The pair got up from the ground. The Tengu was dusty, while Alita had little cuts on her face and arms from the explosion, and her side was still bloody from the duel.

"Thanks," she said to Black Wing as she faced the enemy vehicles. Gillian was already beginning a chant while Herc and Audric got their weapons out.

One of the vehicles aimed its gun right at her.

"No!" she heard just before she was sent flying a short distance to her left.

A split second after she went airborne, she heard the sounds of a laser gun firing and a garbled scream from the left...just where she had been standing.

_Don't tell me...!_

Flora gasped and shouted, "No! Black Wing!"

_It is! _Alita thought as she got up, _That Tengu just..._

She started to run back to where she had been knocked out of the way, but stopped when she saw that the only things that remained on the spot where he stood was ash and a few feathers.

"You met your end with great honor, Black Wing," she murmured, "Go to your rightful reward." She then surveyed the situation around her quickly.

_I know what I'll have to do, even if it's in front of everyone._

_**No hesitation? That's a first.** **Ready?**_

_Yes._

Alita took a deep breath and called out, "Dataform...Ja-"

She heard a low, very distinct whine that was building, one she was very familiar with by now. It was coming from the direction of the entrance. She turned in the direction.

The eyes of Herc and Gillian widened as they saw her turn towards them. They had seen, during those few seconds, two people: Alita and a young man.

_No! No way! _Herc thought.

Zorg had aimed a laser weapon right at Audric, who was a short distance away.

_**No!**_

Alita moved quickly, and to the ears of Gillian, Flora, Oon and Herc, two people shouted, "No! Look out!"

She rammed right into Audric just before the weapon fired.

The scientist was knocked to the ground and out of the way. Almost at the same time, Audric heard a scream coming from beside him.

_Lita!_

Flora shouted something, tone filled with shock, but only part of it could be heard.

"...Lita, no!"

The elder man looked beside him, where Alita lay sprawled. She had caught the edge of the beam, taking the blow on the upper leg, around the outer thigh. A split second later, the two were encased in a white dome and a white light shot out into the air. At first it was in a pillar, then it spread out.

Gillian quickly cast the same anti-blinding spell from before, covering himself, Flora and Herc.

"Don't tell me—"

"Yes. The Light of Purity."

Surely enough, there were multiple screams as the Light tore through the Monster Mind vehicles, incinerating them into ash. Towards the entrance, there was another scream, indicating that Dr. Zorg was also affected.

"M-my eyes! It's too bright! I'll get whoever-"

"It's bright enough to blind him, but not enough to cleanse or destroy Zorg," the wizard remarked.

The Light started to fade from the Arena, and as it did, the sound of more Monster Mind vehicles approaching was heard.

Flora's eyes closed and her hands clenched into fists.

"You'll pay..." she spoke, her voice low with cold anger.

"Hm?" Herc asked.

"My family, my friends, you've harmed them," she continued in a voice that grew colder, her fists shaking, "You'll pay for that!"

"Flora! Don't!" Gillian snapped.

She let out a roar of fury and flung her arms out in mid-air. As she did, there was a flash of white light, followed by an invisible force that sent Gillian, Oon and Herc flying out of the seating area and onto the arena floor. A moment later, she shouted in a tone of fury that rang through the arena, _"Your lives are forfeit!"_

Oon shivered and ran towards Flora, trying to reach her.

"_Shialma Forceil!"_ she shouted. Just before Oon could grab her, a sphere of light shimmered around her and sent the Squire airborne.

"A-aaaahhh!"

The wizard noted that he and the mercenary had landed close to Audric and Alita and quickly cast another anti-blindness shield around them before saying, "You two, listen quickly-"

"_Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir!"_

A ring of white light appeared around her and spread outwards from all directions. As it passed by, the area became brighter again. The next wave of Monster Mind vehicles were also hit and destroyed instantly. As she spoke, she began to rise into the air and a wind began to blow around her.

"_Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir!"_

A second ring appeared and went outwards in the same manner.

"What's she saying?" Herc asked.

"It means: 'Approach, pure light, to evil, bring death.'," Gillian replied as he began to examine Alita's leg. As Flora continued to chant, the rings of light continued to appear, growing wider.

"What happens when the Light happens in the same place multiple times?" Audric asked.

"Like this? It'll put too much stress on the planet and destroy it, regardless of state." Gillian looked up for a moment and said, "You two, try to get up there before you're blinded and stop Flora. I'll stay here and tend to Alita."

"Will do," Herc answered.

The wizard's face became grim as he replied, "Knock her out or calm her down if you can...but if you can't, I'll have to resort to extreme measures."

"Extreme measures?" Audric asked.

"_Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir!"_

Herc replied stonily, "Translation: Gillian might have to kill her."

0000000000

In his headquarters, Sawboss saw all that was going on. Zord had aimed his weapon at Audric with the intent to kill, but the Swordbearer had knocked the scientist down and caught part of the blast in the process.

"That idiot," he growled, "I told him that I wanted Audric alive!"

That action was when his plans for seizing this day, and planet, turned to ash. Within seconds, a pillar of light appeared and spread throughout the Arena, injuring Dr. Zorg and eliminating the first wave of troops, including his Gun Grinner Troop Leader.

_How much worse can this get?_ He thought, then shouted, "Second wave, enter the arena and eliminate them all!"

Soon after that, one of the Monster Mind vehicles, a Saw Trooper, transmitted the image as it entered the Arena: The Lightning league members were mostly sprawled onto the floor, while a single being was floating in midair.

"That's the plant-girl, Flora!"

A ring of white light appeared then shot out and approached the second wave. The image cut out instantly.

"I see...that means that troublesome brat's most likely the Light Avatar," he mused.

"Lord Sawboss!" the Saw Trooper Leader called out as he ran into the throne room, "The Light of Purity is coming this way!"

"We're pulling out, now!"

"What about Doctor-"

"If he hasn't already been killed, he will be in seconds. We leave now!" he replied tersely, then commanded, "In the name of the Black Light, I leave! _Quickly_!"

The telltale shudder vibrated throughout the headquarters, followed by waves of black as the headquarters teleported out.

_The first thing I intend to do as soon as a new Gun Grinner leader is selected is to eliminate both the Light Avatar and Alita Saaru!_

0000000000

A blast of the Light shot out quickly. This one went right through Dr. Zorg, turning to ash not only his body, but also the device that he had on him.

Gillian chanted quietly as he passed his hand slowly and lightly over the wound. The laser had cut deep enough that she was losing blood, but from what his eyes and spell could tell him, there was no danger of anything being severed.

_However, the wound has to be closed before she bleeds out too much. Plus, there's the possibility that the Dataform's matrix might be damaged._

"Hey, Little Orchid," Herc called out, "The enemy's gone. They're wiped out. You can stop now-"

"No! _Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir! Telemie!"_

Audric said, "You've done enough, Flora. The Monster minds here are gone, and Dr. Zorg's most likely dead."

As she chanted, a voice rang in their minds, speaking, _"No! Sawboss still exists! He'll pay for harming both of them!"_

"Hey listen, he's likely high-tailed it out of here," the mercenary retorted, "Now stop this and come on down to the Kid-"

A small tremor could be felt from the ground.

"This isn't good," the scientist said, "If we can't stop her-"

Alita's eyes opened a little bit and she whispered, "Gillian...?"

"I'm taking care of the injury to your leg. Hold still."

"One to my waist, too..."

"I see that," he replied and took out some cloth from beneath his robes and had her press it tightly against her side.

Audric charged at her and adjusted his weapon to a stun setting before aiming it at Flora.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and fired.

The beam bounced off of the invisible shield and hit one of the upper seats.

Herc cursed and said, "I'll be straight with ya: if you don't stop this, Gillian isn't gonna have any choice but to kill you! Now-"

"_Enough!"_ came the sharp yell in their minds, causing them all to wince.

Audric saw Herc raise his weapon and he could see that it was at the highest setting.

"No! Try to fire at her and that beam could easily kill one of us!"

Before the mercenary could reply, a wave of white light made the area too bright to see clearly. Both men winced and closed their eyes, while the leader of the Lightning League took two steps forward.

Gillian shook his head and stood, facing the hovering girl and took out his wand.

_Forgive me, Flora._

"_Matu puare hamae, mere chaila motir! Matu puare hamae-"_

Before the wizard could say anything, a loud voice cut through the chanting and action.

"_STOP!"_

Flora's eyes widened and she gasped in shock. Though most had heard only one voice, she heard two, both very familiar.

She looked down and saw Alita struggling to one knee, looking directly at the teenager. Almost as though superimposed, the Light Avatar saw a second person, a male that she well knew. Gillian frowned as he pulled her back to a more prone position.

"Lita...both of you..."

"Flora...it's all right. I'm all right."

"You're not all right. I saw what they did to both of you!"

"Yeah, but I'll live. Listen. You've done enough. Don't make the innocent suffer along with the guilty."

"Lita...Ja-"

"I'll be fine...so please...let's go back to the Barge..." Alita clenched one hand into a fist, digging her nails into her palm. She fought to keep from doing more than that. Inside, she wanted to scream from the pain in her leg, but knew that if she did, there would be no chance of getting out of this without anyone else dying.

All was still for a moment that seemed more like an eternity. Then, Flora whispered something and floated over to where Gillian and Alita were before lowering to the ground. She placed her hand on the injury and spoke in a low voice. As she spoke, a substance formed at the edges of the injury, then began to spread inward at a moderate pace. At the same time, the young woman passed out.

_In the name of Aruleia_, Gillian thought as he watched the substance solidify and realized that he was actually watching new skin growing together over the wound.

"I have closed the wound," Flora spoke, although to the wizard's ears, it was the voice of the little girl from before, "But while I am in this state, that is all I can do. It will leave a scar."

"Thank you, _Sa Eminare_," he replied in a formal tone.

The plant-girl closed her eyes and, in her own voice, spoke a single word before collapsing.

"_Eta."_

The small tremor in the ground subsided, and the bright light with it.

0000000000

It had taken some doing with two members temporarily blinded, but they were able to return to the Barge. Gillian took Alita into the infirmary, quickly examined her and sealed up the sword injury to her side. He then checked her condition and frowned at what he discovered.He then went to the intercom and called Audric in.

Within a few moments, he entered the infirmary, on his own.

"I see your eyesight has returned."

"Yes. I was closest to where Flora was hovering, with one of your light shields still intact. As soon as it got too bright, I ducked inside. That helped. Herc's should be back in a few hours."

"Good," was the only thing said.

"Now, how is she?"

"Not good," the wizard said grimly, "She's in critical condition."

"What happened? Flora closed the injury, didn't she?"

"Yes, and just as Flora said, there's a scar. But between that and an injury to her waist she gained during the duel, Alita still lost more blood than what is safe. She will need a transfusion, or both she and the Dataform will die."

_We can't afford to lose either one, _Audric thought as he closed his eyes, _I've a pretty good idea now as to who the "Guardian" is. _He took in a sharp breath and asked, "What's her blood type?"

"It's AB+," was the quiet reply.

That surprised him. "My blood type is AB+."

"Yes, I know, that's why I called you in here."

Audric furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "There's nobody else on here with it?"

"No. Herc's is O+, mine is B+. Flora, Brock and Oon don't count."

The scientist nodded, took off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves as he said, "All right, then. Get it set up."

Gillian nodded, looking a little relieved. He then said, "Once the transfusion is done, you both will need food, and she will need a few days to recover fully."

"How long?"

"About five days."

Audric nodded. "Good, because I have some questions for her when she's better."

0000000000

To everyone on the Barge, it was a slow five days. After Gillian finished the procedure, he had Audric go into the city to one of the restaurants and eat. By the following morning, Herc's own eyesight had returned and Flora had awakened.

On the morning of the second day, Gillian announced that Alita and the Dataform were out of danger, but needed to remain where she was at so he could watch for complications. When Herc asked about visiting her, the wizard adamantly refused.

On the third day, Audric stopped by the infirmary to get an update, as well as to ask a few questions. As he went in, he saw Flora leaving.

"She needs her rest, Audric. In a couple of days, you'll be able to-"

"She's not the one I need to ask questions to. The one I came to see is you."

"I see. What did you want to ask me?"

Now the scientist allowed anger to show in his face and voice as he asked, "I want an explanation. Why in blazes did you think that the situation would call for killing Flora?"

"I knew you would ask me that," he replied in a tired tone.

"Let me guess, that's something you 'can't talk about'?"

"Normally, yes. However, it seems that a certain someone also knew you would ask, so I was given permission to discuss that part and that part only."

"You mean the being inside Flora?"

"Yes." Gillian took a seat and then continued, "Simply put, the host can only carry the soul of Aruleia while he or she is on the side of good. If the person turns evil or dies, it travels to someone else."

"I know, Dea told me this."

"What is not widely known is a double-edged sword: if the power is used to take the lives of innocent people, intentional or not, it is considered evil. In a situation like the one we were in, if it becomes impossible to prevent such a calamity by any other means, it falls onto the—I mean onto certain wizards to take the Vessel's life. After all, none of Aruleia's people, especially Her, want such things to happen."

"So if Lita hadn't calmed Flora down-"

"I would have had to carry out my duty, as dictated by the Divine Laws."

"I see." he took a calming breath and asked, "How is Lita?"

"She is recovering well. She'll be released in two days."

After Audric left, Gillian closed his eyes and sighed. _She said, "Eta." One word left...and once it's learned, we will be out of time._

00000

_I...what have I done?_

_**No harm to the innocents, only to the guilty...this time. You behaved foolishly, Flora.**_

_Yes...you're right. Ever since I woke up, I've been thinking about it._

_**That is good that you've reflected on it. The Light of Purity is not a weapon for revenge. In addition, when used in continuous bursts, like you did, it puts enormous stress on the planet, enough to cause destruction, regardless of whether it is "too far gone" as some today would put it.**_

_I had no idea...I'm sorry, little girl. Please forgive me._

_**You know better now, and I can tell you truly mean what you say. You are forgiven.**_

_Thank you. May I ask you something?_

_**Go ahead.**_

_Was Herc telling the truth? If I had continued, would-_

_**Yes. Gillian would have been forced to end your life. It is his one of his duties as one of the Candidates, after all.**_

_Candidates?_

_**I will explain later. For now, rest.**_

_Wait...can you tell me your name now? Please?_

_**Aruleia.**_

00000

In the morning, two days later, Audric ate some breakfast before going to the infirmary. The expression on his face was one of a man determined to find out something.

_It's time that I get answers and find out the truth._

That thought repeated over and over as he walked down the corridors, then entered through the door. As expected, Gillian was standing nearby with a weary expression.

"Ah, Audric. You're here to see her?"

"Yes. It's time I find out the truth."

"You'll have to wait a moment. Herc's already in there, talking to her."

Sure enough, the mercenary's voice could be heard.

"I understand, but...blast it all, Kid, you still should have told me! I didn't want to find out the way I did!"

"The only thing he's saying is, 'I'm sorry, Herc. You know I couldn't.'."

"If I know Audric, he'll be in here to talk to you, and you'd better be ready for it."

"Yeah..."

The dark-haired man stormed off, going past the two others and out of the infirmary. The scientist took a steadying breath and after Gillian gave a reluctant nod, he went towards where he had heard the conversation.

Alita was sitting on the side of the bed, wearing a simple nightgown and kicking her feet a little bit. She was brushing her hair and looking at it closely. Oon was standing a short distance away

"M-M-Mistress Lita-"

"Still the same...good..."

"Looking for something?" he asked.

She looked up, stopped brushing and replied, "Yeah, I was checking to see if I changed any, even though I didn't fully invoke the Guardian. I guess I didn't."

"I see. Alita, we need to talk."

She simply asked, "About what?"

"Your Dataform."

"What about him? I've told you what I know about-"

Audric interrupted by putting up a hand and saying in a louder voice, "Gillian, Oon, leave the room."

"M-Master Audric-"

"Go ahead, Oon," she ordered, "Get going. We'll talk later."

"Yes, Mistress."

After it was made certain that Audric and Alita were alone, he continued, "I've questions that need answering, and I want the truth."

"I already said, I told you everything I know-"

"There's another way to find out. Bring him out here."

"Are you asking me to-"

"Yes. Invoke him, right now."

"Audric, no! It's not a good idea to do that-"

"I already know exactly who he is. I'm not leaving here without the truth."

"But-"

"I figured he doesn't want others to know yet, that's why I had the room vacated."

_**Lita...go ahead.**_

_What?_

_**Do it. Invoke me, here and now. He's right, it's time that he learned the whole truth.**_

_You're sure?_

_**Yes.**_

She sighed and said, "All right. I'll do it."

"Thank you."

She merely nodded and got up, then walked a few steps towards him. "It'll be bright for a moment or two, so shield your eyes."

"Okay."

She took a calming breath and simply called out, "Dataform...Jayce!"

Almost instantly, a white light appeared, bathing Alita's body. Audric covered his eyes until he was certain that it would be safe to do otherwise. Once the light died down, he lowered his hands and looked.

Standing before him was a young man with reddish-brown hair with a white streak, wearing very familiar clothing, right down to the tabard across the chest. As the man opened his eyes, the scientist could tell that they were blue.

"You've figured it out, Father. Finally."

"Jayce!"


	16. Truth of Dataform

_Chapter 15: Truth of Dataform_

Right before Audric's eyes, Jayce stood in the very place that mere seconds before Alita had invoked her "Guardian".

The younger man spoke with hints of relief in his voice, "You've figured it out, Father. Finally."

"Jayce!" Audric exclaimed and hurried toward his son, holding him in a fierce embrace. Though it was returned as strongly, the scientist couldn't help but frown for a moment. Something seemed very wrong. A moment later, he figured it out.

"Your form," he said quietly, "It feels different, much more so than three years ago."

"That's because of my state. It's me, but at the same time, it's Alita."

"Jayce, what in the world happened to you? What state is Lita in? Are you the-"

"She's asleep right now. Every time I'm invoked, she loses consciousness for a while. And," he said softly, "I've heard those rumors, too, the ones that go something like her being the Dataform and me the Lifehost."

"And which one is the case?" Audric asked as he let go of his son.

"_I'm_ the Dataform."

"H-How—how did that happen?"

"It'd be too difficult and take too long to explain normally."

"Son, I need to know-"

"I know a quicker way. It's one of the very few benefits to this shape." Jayce held out his hands and said in a low voice, "take my hands, Father, then close your eyes. Whatever you do, don't let go until I move back."

The scientist faltered for a moment, then grasped Jayce's hands firmly in his own, then closed his eyes.

00000

_Mere seconds after Audric's eyes slid shut, he saw, right before him, the unmistakable colors of the Vortex. A bright light flashed for a moment, then as it faded, Jayce appeared before him._

"_This is...the Vortex?" Jayce's voice could be heard._

_**Good gods, you did wind up here**, the older man thought, then watched in horror as his own son began to double over and writhe, trying to breathe, but in vain._

"_So..am I going to die here after all? I'm so sorry, Father..."_

_Another bright light flashed from behind the writhing form, and from there, a beam of white shot out and hit him fully in the back._

_**That came from the Ring of Light that shot out before we found ourselves on the Pride!**_

_The light enveloped the younger man, causing him to breathe easier._

"_This light, it's saved me..."_

_But before Audric could give a sigh of relief, he saw the Root lift from Jayce's neck and move about. At the same time, the young leader's body also began to disappear, changing into little balls of light. He felt at his chest and realized what had happened._

"_The Root! Has it turned into light, too...?"_

_Audric watched helplessly as his son looked about, trying to find the precious object. When the conversion was up to the neck, Jayce lifted his head and saw something glittering a short distance away, becoming sleepy all the while._

"_What...will happen...to me now...?" Jayce thought faintly as he completely became balls of light that then floated towards the object._

_**That's—That's Jayce's Root!** He exclaimed as the lights and the item fused together, then disappeared through a small, glittering circle._

_The sight of the Vortex disappeared, and streaks of light appeared all around him as well as the Root. As they traveled down what looked like a stellar corridor, the necklace turned a small ball of energy. In the center of the ball, though, a golden liquid was spreading across the face of the Root, only solidifying once it was completely covered._

_**I see...This is how Jayce became a Dataform, using the Root as a Medium.** **But how did he-**_

_A round light opened up in the corridor suddenly. When they exited, they were in outer space, facing a large, blue planet that held only a single moon._

_**Is this...Earth? This is where Alita is from?**_

_The Root medallion, now housing Jayce as a Dataform, turned completely into light and drifted down, entering the planet. The lights flew to the surface until they arrived at what looked like the northern hemisphere and entered a house. Once inside, the light approached a woman with red hair that was sleeping in a bed. From what Audric could tell, she was in her first trimester. The last thing Audric could see right before everything went black was those lights disappearing into the woman's abdomen._

_For what felt like a long time, there was nothing but silence._

_**Is it over yet?** Audric asked._

_**(No. There's more, a lot more,)** Jayce's voice echoed in his mind._

_Within moments, he could hear a lot of voices. One person was breathing heavily as well as groaning._

"_She's dialated!"_

"_Ok, Katherine, start pushing!"_

_The groans and heavy breathing started getting louder, as were the urges to keep pushing._

"_Ok, the baby's coming out!"_

"_Head?" the woman asked._

"_Yes...Oh my God! Doctor! The cord's around the neck!" a second woman, probably a nurse, exclaimed._

"_What?" a male voice snapped. "Mrs. Carson, keep pushing! Almost there! Big push!"_

_A loud scream pierced the noises as the woman apparently gave a very hard push._

"_Ok, let's get that cord unwrapped-"_

"_Wait. Hand her here. That's no umbilical cord," another male interrupted._

"_What are you saying?"_

"_Just do as I say!"_

"_Yes, doctor." _

_A second later there were swiping sounds, then thumping, as though someone was snapping fingers on a foot. Then came the unmistakable sound of a baby screaming as she was born._

"_Doctor-"_

"_She still has her cord where it's supposed to be. I'll cut it. Go ahead and wash her down. Then we'll find out what that is around her neck."_

"_Doctor, is my baby going to be okay?"_

"_Yes, I believe so. We need to figure out what the thing around her neck is, though. We'll get her washed up, then find out."_

_A woman's voice, most likely the nurse, asked, "Have you decided on a name?"_

"_Yes," Katerine replied in between breaths, "Alita..."_

_The voices disappeared as suddenly as they came._

_**The thing around the baby's neck...that was you, wasn't it?**_

_**(Yes. From then on, as she began her life, somehow everything in mine was slowly replayed back to me, day by day, as though I were living them for the first time. Of course, I didn't realize it at first. In a very real sense, when she was born...I was reborn.)**_

_**Jayce...**_

_In front of him, a family sat in what looked like a ground vehicle. As Audric watched, Jayce spoke in his mind, giving names to the vehicles that passed by. The one the scientist was seeing from the inside was called a "car", while one that passed by with two doors and a long, hollow back was called a "truck" and a much larger vehicle with two doors near the front seats and a much larger door in one side was called a "van". A man and a woman sat in the front seats, while a little girl sat in a special chair in the back ("Child safety seat," Jayce explained). Around her neck was the amulet. The man was behind the wheel and talking to the woman._

"_Good to get away from the office now and then, dear. We've been planning this vacation for months, after all."_

"_That's for sure. I think Alita will like going to the beach. She's been doing well in pre-school, and she should enjoy herself before she begins kindergarten-"_

_The banter between the adults continued, interspersed with laughter and the child, Alita, giggling and looking around her._

_Then, all of a sudden, the amulet suddenly sparked and shimmered. A sphere of white light snapped into place around the little girl._

"_What in the-?" the man turned his head to look behind him, "What's that around-"_

"_Mark!" Katherine shouted in warning, but it came too late._

_The car broadsided right into the middle of a multicolored van that had been crossing the street. Close to the same time, a small sports car tried to slam the brakes as the driver saw what was happening. He collided with the Carson's vehicle on the side opposite of where the child was._

_**Horrible...**_

_**(Yes. Lita doesn't remember this happening at all, and thank the Light for that. While I was reliving my life, I was in a deep sleep. I felt imminent danger approaching and woke just enough. It felt like I had thrown my body in front of that girl, but in truth, that sphere had formed, blocking most of the accident from her body. Afterwards, I went back to sleep.)**_

_**In the name of Aruleia...**_

_**(Something changed though. As I slept and relived my life, I would have, at times, what seemed like strange dreams about that little girl. She went into what they called the foster system, going from one family to another. She never stayed at any place for long for one reason or another. One family was abusive and made the mistake of hitting her in front of a care worker. In most cases, though, she would be bullied by other children. Whenever that happened, it'd anger me enough that I would be in that half-waking state again, while she slipped towards sleep. The foster families became scared of her.)**_

_As Jayce spoke in Audric's mind, different voices would fade in and out, validating what he was explaining. At one point, the scenery changed to that of a man and a woman in what looked like an office._

"_Are you certain about this? There have been families that she's been passed in and out of. You might decide you don't even want her."_

"_Nonsense," he replied with an accent that the scientist had never heard before._

"_Mr, Saaru, I don't think you understand. I'll be blunt. She's belligerent and a liar. She gets into fights, then tells lies by saying that the other children picked on her and that some light appears around her and protects her. If things do not work out this time, we will have no choice but to put her into a State Home, for the safety of everyone else."_

"_Mrs. Henderson! Mr. Saaru! You'd better come into the waiting room! It's Alita-"_

"_Come on, and I'll show you what she really is."_

_The adults hurried into the waiting room, where two children were pinning Alita to the floor while a boy that looked as though he were ten was punching her stomach, shrieking things like "freak". All of a sudden, there was a flash of light and the attacking children were blown backwards. The girl got up, and as she did so, the man called Saaru saw wisps of light surrounding Alita._

"_What did you do this time, Carson?" Henderson snapped._

"_I-I didn't do anything. I was looking at my amulet and the chain got longer all of a sudden-"_

"_I have told you before, God hates liars, and you, girl, are a liar!"_

_The other adult in the room, a woman with thin eyes and black hair, got up and walked to Mr. Saaru._

"_What did you see, Haruka?" he whispered._

"_The child speaks the truth, Kaoru," Haruka replied in the same tone, "I saw all of it."_

_He looked at Mrs. Henderson in the eye and said, "I do believe I have decided."_

"_It's good that you see sense, Mr. Saaru. Amy, call the doctor I mentioned before-"_

"_I have decided," he cut in, "We will adopt the child. You see a belligerent liar that needs to be locked up. I see a very special child that needs love and a good family, things we will provide. Sayonara, Henderson-san."_

_**They adopted her?**_

_**(Yes. It took six more months before the adoption process was completed. Afterwards, she moved with her new parents to Tokyo. It was...hard on her.)**_

_**I can imagine.**_

_**(No, Father, you can't. She had a hard time for the first few years coping with what the "system" had done to her, as well as living in a completely different place, with a whole new culture and way of life. The kids picked on her too for a time, but not for very long. The Saaru family called me Alita's Guardian, though in private, I was simply an Angel Amulet to her. They had seen me react to children's attacks a couple of times. Each time, I would awaken just enough to react. Once...I came dangerously close to awakening completely too soon. That frightened her, but it scared me, too. If I were to wake up fully too soon, it would be likely that "Alita" would be gone forever. Her parents were aware of this. It became one reason why she was taught the way of the sword, so that it wouldn't happen.)**_

_**Another form of self-defense.**_

_**(Yes. The family in the neighborhood, the Hayasakas, had an old woman that was rumored to have strong powers of the mind. They were already friends with the Saarus, and with Alita in the family, they became closer.)**_

_As the two spoke, they watched as the little child, Alita, gradually grew into a young woman. At one time, her family smiled with pride when they learned that despite her background, Alita had passed a set of tests they called the high school entrance exams and had been accepted at a place named Heihachi High School. Her outfit changed into one that Jayce called a high school uniform, with a red ribbon in the front. As she grew, the ribbon changed from red, to white, and then finally, to green._

_**Did they ever stop bullying her?**_

_**(For the most part. She even gained a lot of admirers because of her mature demeanor, good grades, except for algebra-)**_

_Audric laughed at that._

_**(There was even a girl from America, the country where Alita was born, that moved to Japan, just a few houses down from where we lived. That girl, Mia, moved in when Lita was starting middle school. She was loud, had a funny voice, and was late to everything. She also got into a lot of trouble with the Hayasaka family for that and for forgetting things like taking off her shoes before entering into a house...)**_

"_Lita! Hey! Lita! C'mon!"_

_**(...and for not addressing people properly. For some reason, they became best friends. Around the time she started high school, all of my memories had been played back to me, and I realized the truth of everything that had happened to her...and to me. It was...painful...)** There was a pause as the voice in the older man's mind faltered. **(After then, I continued to watch everything from where I was, even though it felt as if I were still sleeping. Ever since she was born, I felt something electric all around me. But as the years went by, I felt it less and less. At the same time, I became more and more sad. I would have called it being homesick at first, but it became stronger than that. Until the day before her 19th birthday...)**_

_Audric's eyes widened as he saw someone very familiar appear on the sidewalk a short distance from Alita's house, wearing very unusual clothing._

_**Gillian!**_

_**(Yes. Gillian.)**_

_He watched as Alita came out of her house and saw his old friend and mentor. They talked for a few minutes and the wizard gestured at Alita's amulet, where Jayce slept. She answered his questions politely. She then put her hand under the amulet and when it grew in length, Audric gasped in surprise. She tried to open the amulet itself, then jerked her arm away as though shocked._

"_How old are you?"_

"_Eighteen. I'll…I'll be nineteen tomorrow."_

"_Hmmm...This is just an idea, dear…but maybe it shocks people because it wasn't the right time to be messing with your amulet. The shock is minor now, you say?"_

"_Yeah…like it's almost not there."_

_He nodded, then murmured, "Maybe tomorrow…"_

"_What about tomorrow?"_

"_Try opening it then."_

_She looked at him, half wondering what difference it would make and half thinking that he had gone mad. He added with a laugh, "Just my intuition saying so."_

_Then they heard the girl, Mia, shout out. As Alita turned, Gillian disappeared._

_**So that's why she acted like she did to Gillian, blaming him for her being here.**_

_**(Yes. In some ways, she's right, but not completely. She was always messing with where I was sleeping. Sometime she would have opened it on her own, and she would have arrived here anyway. Except...thinking on things, she would have either been alone or fallen into the hands of the Monster Minds...)**_

_**What happened after the amulet opened?**_

_**I'll show you.**_

_The scene changed to the dark place with the black and blue waves._

_**The Vortex!**_

_**(Yes.)**_

_A large circle of light appeared, and once the light vanished, a clear bubble could be seen. Inside the bubble was Alita, in her school uniform. She took a few deep breaths and pounded on the bubble. It quivered as she pounded on it._

"_Don't," Jayce spoke urgently, though this time it wasn't in Audric's mind. "If you mess with the bubble, you'll die."_

"_Wha…Just who is this? What's happening to me?"_

"_Don't worry. Just trust me and close your eyes for now. You'll be all right."_

"_O-okay..." she replied and did as she was told, sitting back in the bubble as she did so._

_A light came forth from the Amulet and bathed her in it. Audric's eyes widened as he saw his son's translucent image encircled her from behind. Within seconds, the bubble disappeared into another circle of light, travelling down a stellar corridor, going to the one place and time that Jayce missed and wanted to return to so badly._

_On the planet of Erida, Alita had gotten in front of Gillian, who was about to be attacked by a Monster Mind vine. It knocked her off of the ground and towards the lake. As she was falling, glimmers of light were seem as she called out._

"_All right, all right! Dataform...Jayce!"_

_The falling girl was surrounded by body-length wings that sank into her. She caused a large splash as she fell into the water. A couple of seconds later, a being of white light surfaced and stumbled onto the ground. It got up and moved jerkily, unsteadily, as though not used to moving inside of a body. Eventually, the being reached one of the Lightning League vehicles, spoke to Gillian, then opened the hatch._

_**(That being...that was me, the very first time she invoked me. Did you know, Father, Lita can't swim? I had to almost fly out of the lake, or she would have drowned. I couldn't move too well at first once I surfaced. I had been without my own body for almost two decades, after all.)**_

_Then everything went black and silent._

_**(That's all I needed to show you. I'm going to move backwards. When I do, open your eyes, slowly, then let go.)**_

00000

Audric slowly opened his eyes, let go then looked around. He and Jayce were in the infirmary, on board the Barge. He looked at the digital watch that was on his arm.

In shock, he realized that only five minutes had passed.

"By the Light," he breathed, "For you, it wasn't three years that had passed."

"No," Jayce agreed, a little roughness in his voice, "I spent nineteen years on Earth."

"We went looking for you, just as you asked us to," Audric continued, "No wonder we didn't find anything, you were on another world, in the distant past!"

"I'm sorry," the son replied, his voice thickening, "I had-"

"I know...I know now. You had no idea and no control over what would happen when you wound up in the Vortex the first time. It's not your fault." He looked at Jayce, then asked, "The times when she would suddenly seem sad, like Flora mentioned when my name was mentioned to her on Erida, or when she saw me for the first time..."

"That was me. Those were my feelings..."

"And when Amaet was mentioned, she was furious."

"That was also me..."

"You had come back," Audric said, "But why didn't you tell any of us?"

"I couldn't. The first time, I could only talk to you long enough to get Alita set up with the Lightning League. After then, I knew that if Sawboss had gotten wind of my return, much less my state, he would have killed Alita...and me in the process. That would have destroyed our last chance to defeat them."

Jayce closed his eyes and turned away as he began trembling.

"Then I wound up having to get her to invoke me at Orias, even though she was terrified of doing it. But if she hadn't Herc would have died. I ran into him there and did some first aid I learned while I was on Earth."

"How did you learn-"

"Alita took first aid in Japan. What she learns, I also learn, and that also includes Japanese swordsmanship."

"I see."

Jayce took a shuddering breath. "Herc wanted me to go back to the Barge with him, but I told him I couldn't. Besides the real danger, I didn't want him to know just what had happened to me. I didn't want any of you to see me like this. But, Oon could tell the moment he first ran into Lita in the corridor."

_So that's why,_ Audric thought, _Oon's ability to sense changes to his master caused him to see, in some way, that Jayce was present, yet changed. That's why he picked Alita as a master._

He then realized something else: On the first day that Alita had come, when they decided to soften the blow by celebrating her 19th birthday, she had been there when Herc had started talking as though...

"Son, when we held that party for Alita-"

"Yes," he answered, his voice thicker with pain, "I heard the way Herc had talked about me then, as though I was dead. I had no idea that for you, it had been only three years. I heard what you said about me when you and Alita were talking about-"

Before Audric could say anything, he suddenly remembered parts of the conversation his son was referring to. It was the one he had with Alita after the incident in the Cappela system, when the Dataform's-(_No, Jayce's, _he corrected himself) pain and grief had come to the surface.

_I can't stand this much longer...So much sorrow for so long...talking to you helps, but it hurts even more, too..._

"Gods, Jayce, no wonder..."

_I want to see and talk to my father, as myself...want to put an end to what made me like this...I want to be with my friends... Sorrow growing ever since I awoke in this state, So much pain that I want to-_

Audric walked until he was in front of Jayce, then held him very close.

"Go ahead."

That confused him. "Father?"

"I remember what you said in the mess hall. Nobody would blame you, and I'm not about to tell anyone."

It took him a moment to realize what Audric was saying. He closed his eyes, bowed his head and opened his mouth to thank him, but instead found himself weeping.

_If it'll help him, I'll do it, even if it's something as small as this, _Audric thought as he squeezed a little tighter and let a hand rest on his son's head.

A few minutes later, when he was able to get control of himself, Jayce looked up, surprised.

"What's wrong?" Audric asked as he let go.

"Nothing. It's just that this is the longest that I've been," he wiped his eyes and paused to search for the right word, then continued, "here when invoked."

"I think she was giving extra time."

"So do I, and I appreciate it."

"Son, do you want me to tell them? About you?" The scientist was nervous about that, since Jayce had gone to a lot of trouble to keep his condition and presence a secret.

"You'll have to. Oon and Flora already know some but not much. Herc and Gillian deserve an explanation, and so does Dea."

"What about Alita? Does she know?"

"No, but I will talk to her before tomorrow morning. I owe her that much at least for bearing me for 19 years," he answered as he stepped back

Audric nodded and remarked, "You look exactly the same as you did when you went into the Vortex."

"I know. My guess is that I stopped aging when I became a Dataform. It probably won't start again unless..."

Audric nodded, guessing at the rest. "I'll do whatever it takes, but you will be restored. I promise."

"Thank you, Father. I better wake her up now, so that I can start explaining the truth to her." With that, he closed his eyes and was again bathed in light.

Audric expected it this time and covered his eyes quickly. When the light died down, he asked, "Lita?"

"Yes, it's me." She sighed and asked, "Did you find out what you wanted?"

"I did. I'm sorry for earlier."

"That's okay. If I were you, I'd probably have acted the same way."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, except for my face being a bit hot and my eyes hurting a little. Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he replied, "You look tired. Do you always get that way after an invoking?"

"Some, yes."

"I see. I'd feel better if you'd take it easy for today. We'll leave Maelin tomorrow, resuming course for Aunitia."

"I think you're right." She blinked in surprise. "There's something else."

"What is it?"

"I don't know what happened while I was asleep this time, but remember the pain and sorrow from before?"

"Yes. Why?"

"A lot of it's gone."

He smiled. "I'm glad."

0000000000

"_All right. We'll get as many our people together as possible. As soon as you send the flight plan that's going to be used, let us know."_

Dea smiled slightly at the young, dark-haired man that was displayed on her screen. He was the second in command of an anti-Monster Mind strike force called Orion's Hunters. They had formed slightly more than three years ago after an encounter with the Lightning League.

"Thank you. Most likely, they'll take the shortest route possible, especially if they get pressed for time."

"_I don't doubt it. Director, the cargo you mentioned, may I ask what it is?"_

"Sorry, but no. I don't want any enemy spies getting wind of it."

"_He isn't going to like that."_

"I know," she answered with a sympathetic wince, "When it comes time for me to give the flight plan, I'll send that information."

"_Fair enough."_

"Give Orion my regards, will you?"

"_Of course. **Constellation** out."_

The screen went black for only a second before a loud beep sounded and the image of the female receptionist came on.

"_Director, there's an incoming transmission from Maelin Prime, priority channel. It's Audric."_

Her eyes widened slightly. She didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Put him through, encryption level 4. Activate Noisemaker."

"_Noisemaker? Is it that serious, ma'am?"_

"Just do it!" she snapped.

"_Y-yes, Director! O-one moment, please."_

A moment later, Audric came on the screen.

"_Meryl sounded downright scared when she put the call through."_

"I don't stand for a receptionist questioning me on the use of security protocols like Noisemaker," she replied, irritation in her voice.

"_We've both been there before," _he replied sympathetically, _"Wait, did you have Noisemaker turned on?"_

"Yes. If anyone tries to listen in, they'll get nothing but things like white noise, high pitched whines and auditory feedback. If they're lucky, their ears will ring for a while. Otherwise, they might not hear a thing again," At that, she looked and sounded slightly smug, "I developed it, after all."

"_That sounds like something you'd cook up."_

"Uncle, you wouldn't be calling on a priority channel unless something big happened."

"_Right as always, Dea. You know we went to Maelin Prime recently."_

"Yes, because of a duel issued to your newcomer by an exiled Tengu. Wixlan told me. How did it go?"

"_The duel happened, but was interrupted by Sawboss. They tried using the same measures they did on Kitta III."_

She swore in a low tone, but Audric heard it.

"_I never used language like that around you," _he remarked disapprovingly.

"Things change. What happened?"

"_The Tengu in question is dead. He got in front of Alita and took a blow for her."_

"I see. I'll be sure to contact their homeworld with the news. Exile though he was, he died with honor." She saw the pale look on his face and the grimness around his eyes. "What else?"

"_Zorg was there, too. He tried to shoot me, but Alita knocked me out of the way. She got injured in the process. The Light of Purity went off in there multiple times."_

"What! How?"

Audric grimly explained the rest of what had happened in the Arena, including Flora's enraged attack. As he continued, Dea's eyes got wider.

"Good gods! It's a wonder that Flora's still alive. If Alita hadn't calmed her down, Gillian would have been forced to kill her."

"_So he explained. Zorg and another of the original Monster Minds are dead. This time it was the Gun Grinner." _He took a deep breath, looking uncertainly.

"What else happened? Is the Dataform undamaged?"

"_About that...I talked to him directly, after an invoking this time. I now know exactly who he is."_

"Well? Out with it! Who is he?"

There was a long pause.

"_It's Jayce."_

She had not thought it possible for the blood to drain from her face and go cold at the same time, not until right then.

"Start talking." _My tone...am I that shaken by this news?_

Audric took a breath and explained what had happened in the infirmary. She was quite glad that she was already sitting down, or she would be on the floor with shock.

"How is he now?"

"_Before going to get some rest, Alita said that a lot of his pain and grief was gone."_

She nodded. "Uncle, I can tell there's something you're not telling me about that conversation, and I get the feeling I don't want to know. But I can tell you this: whatever else happened in there was most likely the best thing you could have possibly done for him. As far as instability goes, he's out of danger for a while."

"_We'll start heading your way tomorrow. He needs to be restored, and quickly. I promised him I'd see it done."_

"As well you should." She closed her eyes and said, "if I were in his position and his state...it's a miracle his sanity's intact. I would have gone mad by now." She took a deep breath and continued, "Now I know why awakened Dataforms go insane after 20 years."

That was when she heard a new voice over the speakers.

"_Attention Lightning League!"_

_0000000000_

Gillian was in the infirmary, releasing Alita when he heard the voice, seemingly coming from nowhere. He turned very pale.

"Who is this? One of the Monster Minds?" she asked as she reached for her sword.

"_Stand down, young swordswoman. I am not one of the enemy."_

"You see and hear me?"

"_Of course. Gillian, introduce me."_

The wizard went to one of the intercom panels, cleared his voice, then activated it.

"Do not be alarmed," he said, "Those of you who have met the voice have nothing to fear. Those of you who have never met...the speaker is the Guardian of Time."

"_Very good."_

"If I may, Guardian, none of us have payment this time-"

"_My business here has nothing to do with the Test of Time. The War of the Light from legend is approaching fast, and the Guardians of Time are bound by oath and the Divine Laws to assist on the side of Light, with no charge. But first, before we align ourselves fully with the Lightning League, one thing must be done."_

"And that is?"

"_Swordbearer Alita Saaru and Audric Sarissen, you are hereby summoned to the Nexus of Time. Immediately."_

"What for?"

"_A trial."_


	17. Trials of Shadow and Light

_Chapter 16: Trials of Shadow and Light_

Audric closed his eyes as he heard the announcement. _A trial..._

"_I thought so,"_ a woman said in a low voice, reminding him that the connection to Aunitia was still open.

"What do you mean?" _Just what do you mean, you thought so?_

"_Forgive me, but I had been informed that the Guardian would be paying you a visit. I was asked not to tell any of you."_

"I see."

"_**Audric, are you prepared?" **_the Guardian asked, voice booming in the small room.

He sighed and stood up. "Yes."

Dea nodded and said, _"Good luck. Aruleia's grace be with you."_

The screen went blank and within a blink of an eye, the scientist vanished.

0000000000

Alita looked right at Gillian and asked, "Answer me this: A trial as in a test or a trial as in for criminals?"

"May I tell her?" the wizard asked.

"_No. Saaru, you will find out once you arrive. Are you ready?"_

She replied, "Ready as I'll ever be. Let's do it!"

Gillian heard a noise and turned around. A metal container had fallen to the floor, and after he had picked it up and turned back, she had already vanished.

0000000000

Flora was in her room when she heard the voice. At first she merely closed her eyes and prayed when she heard the reason for Audric and Alita being summoned. His next few words, though, surprised her.

"_Light Avatar Flora, you will come as well."_

"What? Why? Is it for a trial too?"

"_No. Your business with me is a different one."_

_**Do it.**_

_Aruleia?_

_**I understand what is going on. Go with the Guardian.**_

"All right. We—I mean I'm ready."

0000000000

The next thing Flora knew, she was standing in what seemed to be outer space. All around her, the stars twinkled and meteors went by every once in a while. "Wow!" she said, then gasped in surprise.

_What-? Outer...space? How come I can breathe then?_

"Hey, where are we?" she heard a second voice, identifying it as Alita's. She looked around and found her standing a short distance away, on her left.

"We can't be in outer space." That was from Audric. He stood right beside the young swordswoman, on her right.

"You are right, yet you are also wrong."

All three looked around, trying to find the source of the voice that had brought them all here.

"Don't be alarmed," he continued, and now it sounded like he was right behind Alita and Audric. They turned to find a large being that looked more like a cross between a human and a rhino. He floated in the air, adorned in a robe.

"You're the Guardian Gillian mentioned?" the scientist asked.

"Yes. Where we stand now is the Time Nexus."

"How can that be?" Flora asked, "Where I was before was a mist covered place, and Gillian described another-"

"Yes. Both places, as well as here, are all different parts of the same location. This place also has several names. The place where all time meets and the Time Nexus are only two of them. Now..."

"You mentioned a trial. Are...are we being accused of some crime?" Alita asked, "How about you tell us what's going on?"

Audric winced at her words, as did Flora. The scientist was about to tell the young woman to watch her mouth, but from the look of surprise and abashed set to her mouth, Jayce had already done so.

The being simply laughed rather heartily. "Blunt and to the point! I like you!" he said as he clapped her on the shoulder, sending her forward a little. "Don't worry, it's not the kind of trial you're thinking about."

"I see," she replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

"However, you'd do best to take it as seriously," he continued, his tone changing accordingly. He turned and asked, "Flora, do you remember an incident involving a creature called Light-Eater?"

"Yes, I do. We were lured somewhere, led by the reacting Root. Each of the Lightning League members were put into some very bad situations. From what the others said when we talked about it later, we had to live with what we most feared."

"That's mostly right, but not quite. Each of the members had to face their worst fears. Had any of you succumbed to them, your souls would have been forever under his control."

Her eyes widened in fear. "A-all of us?"

"Yes, and in your case, that would include Her as well."

Flora gulped slightly.

"There is a ritual relevant to the War of the Light and the Ascension. In it, those in the forefront of battle, bearing Light and Lightning as their cause, must face their worst fears, their Shadows. Those that fail forfeit their lives. This is known as the Trial of Light and Shadow."

"Is the Lightning League going to have to undergo it?" the Light Avatar asked.

"No. It's been decided that since most of you went through it once with the Light-Eater incident, there is no need to do so again. However..."

"What is it?" Audric asked.

"There are two of your group that have _not_ undergone the Trial."

Alita felt a sinking feeling in her chest as she said, "Audric...and me."

"Correct."

"So, the two of us have to take the Trial, huh? What happens if we pass?"

"If you both pass, we will fully align ourselves with not only the Lightning League, but the side of Light, as per our vows. If you both fail, your lives are lost, as well as the final chance to stop Saw Boss and the Black Wave."

"Talk about tall orders," she replied.

"You scared?" Flora asked.

_Be honest._

"Yeah, I am," she answered reluctantly, "Seeing my worst fears, facing my worst self...of course I am. But that's not gonna change anything, will it?"

"No, it won't," Audric agreed, "I'll admit, I'm nervous about the idea, too. But-"

"I'll do it anyway," the two of them said at the same time. They realized the timing of their answers and laughed.

"Okay, so let's go. Bring on the Trial, I say," Alita said.

"Wait. Before you begin, Saaru Alita, one other thing must be done."

"What is it?"

"I know what it is that you bear around your neck...and I know _who_ is inside. Before your Trial begins, the being within Flora will have to place your Dataform in a deep sleep."

"What? Why?" she asked, shocked.

"One of the conditions of the Trial is for there to be no interference whatsoever. This is your Trial and yours alone."

"How long is he going to be asleep?"

"Until your Trial concludes. She will awaken him again, should you succeed. Am I right, _Sa Eminare_?"

Flora looked as though she were listening to something nobody else could hear. "She says, 'That's right. I'll awaken him if you pass, so don't worry.'"

Alita sighed. _Sorry._

_**That's okay. He's right, you'll have to do this alone. But Lita...I believe in you.**_

_Thanks._

She then said, "Okay...go ahead and do it. Let's get this over with."

Flora came over to her, motioning Alita to bend down a little. When the older woman did, she placed her hand on the amulet and closed her eyes.

_**I'll teach you the spell. Repeat after me. Faai solara...**_

"_Faai solara..."_

_**Lunastei, Dataform!**_

"_Lunastei, Dataform!"_

A golden energy passed through Flora, travelling through her arm and into the amulet. Alita could already tell that he was falling asleep, and within seconds, she couldn't feel anything from him.

"It's done," Flora spoke.

"Good. Now, let the Trial begin!" He gestured towards the scientist and older woman, bathing them in pillars of light for mere moments before they disappeared.

"What about me? Is that all you wanted me for?" Flora asked.

"No. Now, we must go to yet another section of this place, where the other Guardians of Existence await us."

"Why?"

"We need to see how far or close you are to fulfilling your own destiny."

0000000000

"Lita! Heeeyy, Lita!"

That familiar, nasally voice was the first thing Alita heard after disappearing from...

_From? From where?_

"Hey! You're sleeping on your feet? You work too hard again?"

She shook her head distractedly and looked around her, getting her bearings. The buildings had the columns that seemed to grow from the ground up, and she could smell Aunitian bison burgers...

_This is near the cafe, on Maetel!_

"Lita!"

Now she looked in the direction that the voice came from. Surely enough, Mia Willse was sitting at one of the patio tables, eating one of the burgers and drinking Maetel grape-water.

"Mia? What are you doing here?"

"Does that really matter right now? C'mere, you look bushed."

"No, I'm fine. Just been really busy."

Her face darkened into an expression that Alita had seen a few times.

"Busy? I'll bet. You've been space-hoppin' so much you haven't thought once about me or your family, have you?"

"Hey now, that's not true-"

"Oh? Is that so?"

The new voice, a Japanese male, came from right behind her. Alita turned around and saw none other than Kaoru Saaru.

"Father? You too?"

"Do you really think that these..._friends_," he continued, saying the word with disgust, "are going to keep their word to get you home?"

"What do you mean?"

"Once your purpose is finished, they'll abandon you. You'll never return to Japan."

She shook her head. "Audric isn't like that."

"Ha! You may be intelligent, but you're incredibly naïve if you think that. He's the dishonorable one that created those creatures to begin with. How can any of his words be trusted?"

Alita shook her head again, anger and pain rising from her chest.

"Speakin' of which, best I tell you somethin'...if you think you'll ever fit in, you're dead wrong. You're gonna be an outcast for the rest of your life," Mia interjected, "And you know why."

"Why? Just because I'm American-born in Japan? That's ridiculous."

"Use your head, girl! That _thing_ around your neck is the true cause!" Kaoru spat out, "_That_ caused the accident that killed your real parents! _That_ is why you never got along with anyone in the foster system, and it's why you never fit in in Japan _or_ here!"

She gripped her head, voice shaking a little. "No..."

"Stop running from reality!" he snapped at her and pulled her hands down forcefully.

0000000000

Audric heard a very familiar, sinister laugh and quickly checked his own surroundings. There were vines everywhere, in the hallways, over the monitors, over the data consoles-

_Data consoles...I remember this place! It's our old lab, now Saw Boss's headquarters!_

Before he could say or think anything else, he felt a double pulsing on his chest. He looked down and found not only his own Root, but Jayce's as well, without a golden covering, but reverted back to its original medallion's state.

_How did I get this? Jayce isn't inside..._

"_Well well, Audric..."_

"Saw Boss! Why did you bring me here?"

"_You claim to be wise for a human, so how about you use your brain a little?"_

"You're not getting the Roots, if that's what you're after."

The Monster Mind leader let out a loud, haughty laugh, then replied, "Oh, I will, unless you don't mind adding another life to your conscience."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Behold!"

The air to the right of the evil plant shimmered, and after a moment, a familiar person began to coalesce. When the scientist saw who it was, his eyes widened.

"Jayce!" he called and started to run towards him. Two of the Monster Minds stopped him before he could get very far by grabbing his arms.

Jayce stood still, arms outstretched. His eyes were closed, and it was hard to tell if he was in stasis or merely sleeping.

It was now that Saw Boss walked into the room. Once he was near the center, he continued, "I extracted him from where he was. Right now, I have him on the threshold that exists between worlds."

"He's been in the Vortex before and survived."

"True, but I am talking about a place he won't escape from...the Void."

_That would be the one place he couldn't survive in, as a Dataform or not._

"I'll make this quite simple for you," Saw Boss spoke, "You have a choice: Give me both Roots, and I'll revive your son, in this world. Join them together, and I'll cast him completely into the Void!"

0000000000

Flora and the Guardian of Time walked side-by-side down one of the spacial corridors, not speaking. Her mind was filled with questions that not even the child Aruleia would answer.

_Just what are they going to do to me?_

_**You'll find out. Don't worry, it's not going to harm you.**_

_Have you done this before?_

_**Oh yes...many, many times. More times than I care to think about...**_

"We're here. Now, say nothing unless you are spoken to until the test begins. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Good," he replied and walked forward, disappearing as though he had passed through a curtain. Flora followed right behind him.

The area before her was quite different than before. In here was a room, made of what looked like either white marble or ivory. The walls were covered in not only pictures, but also writing, in a language that seemed alien, yet familiar to her. In the center of the room were four, pure white pillars, completely covered in the strange writing.

Five beings stood in an incomplete circle, each wearing different colored robes. Two looked human, one was a Tengu, another looked to be a cross between a cat and a girl and the other looked like a stone golem.

The golem spoke first, his voice sounding rough, "Who comes to this sacred gathering?"

"I am the Guardian of Time. I come with the Vessel."

One of the two humans, a woman with dark red hair, sniffed and hmphed. The young teenager's eyes widened as she saw that she had a red fox's tail. She asked in a disinterested tone, "If you be the Vessel, speak your name."

"My name's Flora."

The other human, a man with flowing, silver hair and silver eyes spoke next. "If you be the Vessel of Aruleia, come forth. Step into the center of our circle."

_**Do what they say, and don't object.**_

She nodded, both to the Guardians and to the voice in her mind and began to walk slowly and steadily, with the Guardian of Time behind her. As she approached, the humanoid fox gestured to the single space that was open. She nodded, but said nothing as she saw a slightly raised platform.

_**Stand there.**_

Flora complied quickly, walking onto the platform.

_**Turn around.**_

As she did so, she saw that the Guardian of Time stepped into the vacant spot, effectively closing the circle.

"Now, until we say otherwise, do not exit the circle. Comply with whatever you are told." he spoke to her.

"Yes."

The fox woman spoke first. "We stand here, again at the threshold of destiny. We will see for ourselves if you truly are the Vessel of Aruleia. I am the Guardian of Nature." She took out a green staff that was intertwined with leaves.

The silver man took his staff, one covered in silver with carved letters, and said, "I am the Guardian of Divinity. I will know at once if the Angel of Light is within you."

The golem brought his own staff, made completely of stone, out from beneath his robes. "I am the Guardian of the Life Cycle."

_**He never did talk much,** _Aruleia said dryly to Flora. After a split second, she continued, _**Wait. Something feels wrong.**_

_What do you mean?_

_**I feel deception in the air. Flora, keep going for now, but be careful. I'll need time to figure out where it's coming from.**_

_All right._

The Tengu brought out his own staff, this one obsidian black, glittering with what looked to be stardust. "I am the Guardian of Space."

The staff that the cat girl brought out was surprisingly plain and wooden, although Flora thought she could smell faint traces of catnip on it. "I'm the Guardian of Judgement. Do be a purrrrfectly good girl, will you?"

The remaining one, the humanoid rhino, took out his own staff, made of silver and blue, shaped like the sign of Infinity. "I am the Guardian of Time. Now, let us begin the ritual."

All six Guardians raised their staves, pointing them directly at Flora. Within seconds, six beams of light , each a different color, fired.

0000000000

Alita tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths, but it wasn't helping much.

"We know a way to change your fate," a woman's voice spoke, and this one came from Alita's left.

Haruka Saaru walked forward, holding a tall glass of clear fluid in her hands. "We want you to take this glass and drink it."

"Drink it? How's that going to change anything?"

"It'll get you fixed, Lita," Mia replied, then reached for her glass of water. "Drink it and you'll get home, fast."

"Not only that, but when you come home, you'll never worry about fitting in again. Everyone will accept you just as you are," Kaoru added.

Haruka stopped walking when she was just in front of her daughter and placed the glass in her hands.

"Is it really that simple? Just drink it and my problems are over?"

"'course it is! It doesn't even taste bad, either," Mia exclaimed with a giggle.

"What about him?"

"Him who?"

"The Dataform! What'll happen to him?"

Haruka laughed and answered, "It'll be deleted. Not just from your body, but from all existence."

"You're saying it'll kill him?"

"Well, if he were a livin' being, it'd be death, ya. But that thing's nothing but trouble. It's just data, not a real person. It's no different than deleting files from a computer."

"Mia is right, Alita. This is the only way, and the only chance you'll get," Haruka agreed, "If you don't drink it, you'll never come home, and you'll never fit in, whether it's in Japan or out there. An eternal outcast."

"Drink from the glass, Alita," Kaoru ordered.

Alita looked right into the glass, pondering what to do.

"You need to decide, and quickly," her mother added.

Alita raised the glass slowly, which made the familiar faces smile...then she threw it down onto the ground, shattering it completely and the wet contents spread outward.

"You silly girl! Do you realize what you've done?" Kaoru thundered.

"Yes, I do," she answered, "Drinking that would fix everything, but it's the easy way out...the way of the coward."

"How dare you!"

"How dare _you _say that with my father's face? None of you are real, that's for sure, but the Dataform sure is, and I'm not about to murder an innocent!"

"You'll never belong anywhere!" Mia snapped at her.

"If that's my fate, so be it."

"You'll never come home again!"

"So what? My father would rather I not have blood on my hands or conscience, and neither would I!"

"Hah! You already have blood on your hands."

"Yes, I've taken lives since I got here, but they were lives of evil creatures. I won't kill an innocent, especially not for a coward's way out!"

"You know that _thing_ will take you over someday. You'll lose your identity!" Haruka inserted.

Alita felt a chill run down her spine. _That's dirty pool._

She took a deep breath and said, "Like I said, if that's my fate, then so be it. I'm not listening to you monsters anymore," she snapped, then turned her back on them.

"Come back here, you dishonorable whelp!" Kaoru snapped.

"Good bye," Alita replied coldly and walked away. As soon as she left the block where the cafe was, she was bathed in light and vanished.

0000000000

Audric looked between three places: the still, lifeless Jayce, the two Roots that were around his neck and at Sawboss.

_Sacrifice the universe...or my son,_ he thought, _something that no parent should ever have to choose. Jayce..._

Before he could speak, he saw, in his mind, the incident on Kitta III, as though he were living that time all over again. He saw as Jayce used the Ring to save him, Dea and protect his own allies, then let himself fall through the portal that led into the Vortex.

"Well? You do want the boy returned to you, don't you?"

Audric looked up at Sawboss, then took both Roots into his hands, one in each. He then closed his eyes and whispered a prayer before he put his hands together, the medallions back to back.

"You fool! Does his life mean nothing to you? You're more heartless than I thought."

"You're wrong," Audric replied, "Jayce means everything to me. But I also know what he would want."

Light began to appear between the cracks in his clasped hands, and he felt a growing warmth as the two Roots began to combine. The plants within the medallions quickly broke free from the containers and the glass shards cut the palms. Even then, he held them closed.

"I know what he would do," he continued as the light grew brighter and spread, outlining his body.

Sawboss hmphed and stood. He moved an arm upward and said, "Last chance, old man. Abort what you're doing while you can!"

Audric ignored him and continued, "I know what he _chose_!"

Right then was an explosion of light. As his hands were forced apart by the Root that he had been holding. As he looked, he saw that they were now one and had turned white.

Sawboss roared with anger and made a pushing motion with his hand. At the same instant, a wind blew that sent Jayce flying into a dark, black oval.

The last thing he saw before the light enveloped his sight was his son's body vanishing into the darkness.

0000000000

Flora stood in the center of the Guardians' circle, trying not to cry out in pain. Each of the six beams felt different. One was cold, one warm, one was pleasant...but one of them was painful. Every few moments, each of the Guardians would speak in a language that she had never heard before, and Aruleia would answer, using the teenager's mouth.

_Kuela...Hamae...Eta...Kuela...Hamae...Eta..._

_**Flora...listen and listen quickly. When I tell you a beam's color, I want you to feel it out, see if there is anything...negative within it.**_

_Okay. Is someone trying to kill us?_

_**Very astute. Now...Green!**_

Flora focused on the green beam, coming from the west.

_It feels warm._

_**Brown!**_

There was a pause, then she replied with, _Feels kind._

_**Black!**_

_Cold, like space._

_**Hmm...keep that in mind...Gray!**_

_Hard, like rocks, but also cool._

_**Silver!**_

After a moment, Flora gasped. _That feels...dark and hateful! I feel black malice from there!_

_**You're sure?**_

_Yes! Silver is the one!_

_**All right. That beam's coming from north by northeast. Now, we have to move quickly. When I tell you, find it then use your mind to push the silver ray back to its owner.**_

_Got it!_

_**Now!**_

Flora closed her eyes and focused on the direction that Aruleia had mentioned. Within seconds, she found the silver beam and mentally winced at the malicious intent that radiated from it.

_I found it._

_**Good. Now, picture yourself using your hands to push it away from you!**_

_All right._

A beam of pure white light shot out from Flora's body, striking the silver beam head-on. After staying still for a couple of seconds, it pushed onwards and struck the silver man's staff. The wielder was blown backwards with a loud boom.

Most of the other Guardians quickly reacted, stopping their individual beams and preparing to use spells that did not sound benevolent.

"Hold!" The Guardian of Time called out, then asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

Flora's eyes were wide open, gold replacing green. There was a look of anger on her face. She pointed at the sprawled Guardian of Divinity and said, "Thou art a traitor!"

"What?" the Tengu asked, "What makes you think you have the right to accuse-"

"She is possessed by evil," the accused man spoke coldly.

She cut him off and replied, "I feel malice on your beam. I hear evil in your voice, I sense murder on the staff. I see the Black Wave in your aura. I repeat: _Thou art a traitor!_"

The Guardian of Time waved his staff towards the accused and muttered an incantation. Within seconds, a black glow encircled the silver man, causing the others to gasp in shock.

"She spoke the truth," the fox woman replied, then saw the traitor get up and start to run. She chanted a spell and aimed her staff at him. Vines shot out and wrapped around him.

"Hmph," the Guardian of Divinity said, "Looks like we underestimated the Vessel of Aruleia. Well, it doesn't matter, he knows who she is."

"He?" The Time Guardian asked.

Flora, whose eyes were still gold, said to them with a voice that was a mixture of her own and the child, "He means the current Avatar of the Black Wave. You know him by the name of Sawboss."

"Take him to another section of the Nexus. He will be interrogated soon enough," the Guardian of Nature ordered.

The traitor opened his mouth, then closed it and gritted his teeth. Within seconds, he slumped in the grasp of the vines.

"No need," the Guardian of Time said, shaking his head, "Flora, that ability you used, how did you know it?"

"I taught her," she replied, this time with only the voice of the child.

The remaining Guardians all turned to Flora and they all bowed to her, saying, _"Sa Eminare."_

0000000000

When Audric was able to see and hear again, he heard the sound of someone, a young woman, sobbing.

At first, as he looked around, he thought, _Who? _A moment later, he found the source, and it surprised him.

Alita was crouched in one part of the star-filled room, and her shoulders were shaking.

"Lita!" he called and hurried over to her. He knelt beside her and asked, "What's wrong, Lita?"

In a low, torn voice, she said, "...dirty pool..."

"What's wrong?" he asked again, more softly.

"Light-blasted trial," she repeated between sobs, "They played dirty pool."

He blinked, then said, "How about you tell me about yours, then I'll tell you mine."

She nodded and sat down, then explained to him about what she had seen, including her family and best friend back in her old time and their hurtful comments.

"Gods, how horrible," he replied.

"No kidding. They basically said I would be condemning myself to life as an eternal exile, never fitting in. An outcast, forever, and no longer even myself..."

"You're no outcast," he replied firmly, "Not to the Lightning League, and definitely not to me! If you really are unable to go back..."

"Hm?"

"You could always stay with us."

"You sure about that?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

"Thanks," she said, wiping her eyes, "I'll definitely keep that in mind. Now, what about yours?"

Audric took a deep breath and told her everything about his own trial, including having to choose between his son's life and the two Roots. As he spoke, she shuddered.

"I don't know where your son is, but if he's anything like you and the others have told me," she said at the end, "He probably would have sacrificed his own life to stop Sawboss."

"Yes, but that doesn't make what I chose any easier."

"Boy, do I know that feeling. Looks like they really played dirty pool with both of us. I don't know if I want to ask the others how theirs were like."

"Probably not," he agreed, "The others did tell each other what their trials were like, according to Gillian, but from what I heard, they were pretty upset when they did. Might be best to keep ours just between us. You shouldn't tell him, either."

"Him? Oh, the Guardian?"

_Jayce didn't tell her yet,_ he thought, but merely nodded.

"It seems you both have passed," the Guardian of Time's voice could be heard as he, Flora, and the others came into the chamber.

Alita and Audric got onto their feet, standing side-by-side. "I'm not sure if we did," she replied.

"You did. If you had failed, you would not have come back at all."

"What about Flora?" Audric asked.

The fox woman spoke up. "We have evaluated her. Tell Gillian that she is still on the side of good, and very close. We will speak to the rest of the League as soon as we return to your ship."

Flora's eyes were green as she asked, "Hey, how about the Dataform? I need to wake him up now."

"Yes, go ahead and do that, then we will be going. Time is of the essence."

"_Faai solara...awaki, Dataform!"_

0000000000

Herc, Gillian, Oon and Brock were on the bridge of the Barge. The ex-mercenary was pacing the floor, nervous.

"You think those three'll be all right? I've no idea what kind of trial Audric and the Kid are dealing with."

"Patience, Herc," Gillian replied, "I know what kind of trial is in store for them. I'm more worried about Flora."

"What kind of trial?"

"I'm not allowed to say. Ever since Maetel, I've been bound by the Divine Laws."

"Divine Laws? What kind of laws are you talking' about?"

"They're laws as old as the universe itself. Every magician and sorcerer knows of them, because we never know when one of us will be bound by them."

"Aaah, whatever," he snapped, then saw a flash of light from the corner of his eye. He turned around and saw that a humanoid that looked like a rhino, Audric, Alita and Flora were standing on the bridge.

"The Trials have been completed," he spoke in a grand voice, "Successfully. Now, in accordance with our oath and the Divine Laws, the remaining Guardians of Existence align ourselves fully with the Lightning League and pledge our assistance to you and the side of Light."

"Remaining? What's going on?" Gillian asked.

"The Light Avatar rooted out a traitor amongst our ranks, the Guardian of Divinity."

The wizard paled at this, then closed his eyes for a moment and murmured something before looking up.

"Gillian," Alita spoke up, "I was told to tell you that Flora is still on the side of good, and very close."

"I thought so."

"Now, when we are needed, we will come," the Guardian of Time continued, "Just tell Flora, and she will call for us."

"We will," Audric replied, "and thank you."

Once the Guardian disappeared, the scientist said, "Lita, you've got to be very tired. Go to your quarters and get some sleep. We'll be leaving Maelin Prime tomorrow. Oon, you stay here for a few minutes."

"Y-yes, master."

"All right," she replied, and quickly left the bridge.

"As to the rest of you," he continued, "We need to talk. It's about her Dataform."


End file.
